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Cops are investigating whether the same armed thug was responsible for a crime wave on the Fulton Mall last week.

In the first incident on Jan. 20, the thug approached a man near Bond Street at around 7 pm and brandished a gun, forcing him to hand over his cash.

The crook then directed his victim around the corner and stated the obvious: “You know I got a piece, right?”

The victim nodded yes, and then handed over $70.

The next day on the same block, the thief intimidated another man into withdrawing money from an ATM by saying he had a gun trained on him.

The victim told cops that the man approached him at around 6:30 am and insisted he hand over his cash. The victim then walked to an ATM and withdrew $40.

Lastly, on Jan. 22, the thug used nearly identical tactics to spook another man into withdrawing money from an ATM by saying he had a gun pointed at him through his coat pocket.

The victim told cops that he was leaving a store between Lawrence and Hoyt streets at around 3 pm when the man approached and said, “I have a burner in my pocket pointed at you. Give me your money.”

When the victim explained that he did not have any cash, the pair reached a compromise by agreeing to stroll over to an ATM. The victim withdrew $60 and handed it over.

In all three cases, cops are on the hunt for 6-foot-2, 200-pound man.

The crime wave began on the day before the Fulton Mall added a new attraction that is generating lots of foot traffic in the area near Smith Street: the new Arby’s in the old Gage and Tollner space.

©2010 Community Newspaper Group