A man who walked into the Chelsea Groton Bank on Montauk Avenue in New London on Nov. 9, 2016, and handed a teller a note that said "Bank Robbery" pleaded guilty Tuesday in New London Superior Court.

Anthony D. Rowe, 49, will be sentenced Oct. 26 to seven years in prison followed by six years of special parole for second-degree robbery. He has been incarcerated since New London police arrested him the day after the crime.

Rowe had fled the bank with $1,250 following the robbery. According to prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla, police used video of the crime to identify Rowe, who had been participating in a program at Sound Community Services, which is located in a building adjacent to the bank. He was living at the agency's facility at 649 Buddington Road in Groton. Another client of the agency, which helps people with psychiatric and substance abuse issues, was charged with robbing the same bank branch in January 2017.

At the time of his arrest, Rowe was on probation for robbing two cab drivers in New London in 2008, crimes for which he had served six years of a seven-year sentence.

Rowe was homeless and admitted to police that he was under the influence of crack cocaine and alcohol when he robbed two different cab drivers in 2008. He also claimed he wanted to get caught.

In one case, police said he caught a cab at the train station and was riding to the local homeless shelter when he held a metal object to the driver's neck, demanding money. Three weeks later he robbed a second cab driver by choking him from behind and demanding money.

Tytla said Chelsea Groton Bank requested that the court prosecute Rowe "to the fullest extent of the law," especially since he was a repeat offender, but said they would leave the details up to the court.

Tytla and Public Defender Kevin C. Barrs had worked out the plea agreement Rowe accepted Tuesday during pretrial discussions before Judge Hillary B. Strackbein.

k.florin@theday.com