A St. Paul felon has admitted that he robbed three TCF Bank branches in five days and also hit a slew of retail and dining outlets around the Twin Cities within a month last fall.

Maurice Dixon, 47, pleaded guilty in federal court in Minneapolis last week to two of the bank holdups, which netted him less than $1,000 combined. Dixon remains jailed, with sentencing pending.

According to prosecutors:

Dixon held up a TCF branch inside the Cub Foods at 1440 University Av. W. on Nov. 4, coming away with $768. On Nov. 9, he robbed a TCF branch at 459 Lexington Parkway, this time pocketing $175, despite giving his teller a note that demanded $100s, $50s, $20s and $10s. He backed up what he wrote by saying he wanted large bills and threatened to shoot, though the charges don't say that he produced a gun.

In between, Dixon went to Minneapolis on Nov. 5 and came away with a larger haul, $2,025, from the TCF branch in the Cub Foods at 2850 26th Av. S.

It was after the Nov. 9 heist that police caught up with Dixon nearby on the street and arrested him. On Dixon was the $175 he stole. He then confessed to that robbery.

Dixon also confessed that starting on Oct. 10, he robbed several retail establishments, among them numerous Subway locations, a White Castle, and a Little Caesar's Pizza restaurant. He was accused of brandishing a knife in the Oct. 18 Little Caesar's robbery.

Along with the Minneapolis and St. Paul bank robberies, some of the crimes occurred in Woodbury and Roseville.

Dixon's criminal history includes a 2006 conviction for first-degree aggravated robbery in St. Paul. He was on supervised release from prison for that crime at the time of the robbery spree.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482