East Boston man charged with attempted back-to-back robberies in Revere
BOSTON, January 28, 2025 – An East Boston man was arraigned this month in Chelsea District Court after police link him to back-to-back robbery attempts in Revere, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
ISREAL BULLARD, 63, of East Boston was charged on January 17 with two counts of attempting to commit a crime (armed robbery) and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Judge Stuart Hurowitz released Bullard on personal recognizance. Bullard is due back in court on March 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
At about 1:46 p.m. on January 9, Revere police responded to Target located at 36 Furlong Drive for an attempted robbery.
Officers met with a Target employee who reported observing a male, later identified as Bullard, standing in the checkout lane. Bullard said several times that he was “going to wait” while he let other customers pass by and check out first. Bullard then placed an item on the conveyor belt and repeatedly told the employee to open the register. After the employee told Bullard they could not do that, Bullard placed his hand in his jacket pocket and said “I have a gun, no one is going to get hurt.” After several failed attempts, Bullard walked out of the store and was seen entering a taxi and heading toward Lee Burbank Highway.
As officers were leaving Target, they were dispatched to the Citizens Bank located inside Stop and Shop, in the same plaza. A bank employee reported that a male stated to him “this is a robbery,” then made references to a shooting. The male then left the bank. The bank manager provided still images of the male, who matched the same description of the male from Target, later identified as Bullard.
Officers soon determined that this incident had occurred about twenty-five minutes before the Target incident.
Investigators were able to identify Bullard by contacting Tunnel Taxi, whose cab Bullard was seen using to get to and from the shopping plaza. Police obtained a warrant for Bullard’s arrest.
Bullard was convicted of larceny in 2012 and then convicted of unarmed robbery just months later and sentenced to state prison.
Hayden’s office, the Boston Police department, and regional retailer groups and small business owners in 2024 launched the Safe Shopping Initiative, an effort to increase consumer safety and help store managers strategize responses to shoplifting and retail larcenies. The initiative formed amid increasing national and local frustrations around retail crime, along with concerns over the closure of several pharmacies serving minority communities in Boston.
“We want consumers to feel safe going in to stores and we want employees to feel safe going in to work. Quality of life while shopping and working is the target goal for us, and working with police and retail partners is the best way to achieve that goal,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications