PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A man believed to be the bank robber dubbed the ‘‘bearded bandit’’ by law enforcement for a series of heists in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney announced the eight-count indictment Thursday.

Authorities say 33-year-old Justin Worley robbed eight banks in Rhode Island this year. Police say that he sometimes claimed to have a gun and threatened bank tellers.

Worley is being held in Massachusetts, where he is charged with robbing a Seekonk bank.

Worley was arrested in September at a Seekonk motel. Authorities say he had a fake beard.

If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 160 years in prison.