Dorchester, Massachusetts- A Dorchester man arrested Dec. 29 for allegedly attempting to rob an adult video store in Dedham also may be responsible for a string of armed robberies at Greater Boston outlets of the same chain, police said.

Tony Carter, 41, whom police said was released from prison in the late 1990s, allegedly used the same tactics in the most recent robbery attempt as the suspect described in five previous incidents: he wore a ski mask, carried a silver revolver, and waited until the Amazing Adult Express store was about to close before making his move. Dedham Police Detective Robert Walsh, who is investigating the series of robberies, said he does not know why the Amazing Adult Express chain has been targeted, but speculated that an adult video store was likely to have more cash on hand than a convenience store.

“People are less apt to use their credit cards at [adult] stores,” Walsh said.

He declined to provide the locations of the other stores Carter is suspected of robbing, but he said the investigation includes four other police agencies. The chain has 10 stores in Eastern Massachusetts, including outlets in Weymouth, Waltham, Peabody, Reading, and Fairhaven as well as Dedham, according to its website. The first of the five robberies took place at the Amazing Adult Express on Providence Highway last February, Walsh said. It was not the first time the Dedham store has been the target of a robbery, police said.

Matthew Zeigler, assistant manager at the Dedham store, said last Friday that employees are generally on guard for armed robbers.

He said the store probably processes fewer credit card transactions than most businesses, but suggested robberies are on the increase simply because there are more adult-oriented stores doing business these days.

“Human sexuality hasn’t changed. We’ve been around forever. In the classics section, we have old black and whites from the 1920s,” Zeigler said. “But our stores are more visible now. Our windows aren’t painted black any more. We’re one of the biggest chains, with 43 locations. I’m sure that’s not going to help. You get a little too public and this is the kind of thing that could happen.”

A representative at the chain’s headquarters in Rhode Island refused to comment, citing the police investigation.

According to police, Carter was crouching near the entrance of the Dedham store at about midnight, which is closing time, when a clerk noticed him and called 911 to report a suspicious person.

Carter allegedly fled down Eastern Avenue and toward Memorial Field. According to police reports, he ran into the woods near the field, hid in the bushes, and removed a black sweatshirt and latex gloves. He then climbed into a nearby brook, where he put his hands below the water and apparently hid something, according to police.

After several minutes in the water, Carter surrendered to police. He is being held on $25,000 bail at the Norfolk County Correction Center in Dedham, said Sergeant Doreen Harriman.

Two days after Carter’s arrest, the State Police Underwater Recovery Team searched the brook and found a silver .38-caliber revolver in the shallow, mucky water, Harriman said. Carter originally was charged with attempted unarmed robbery, but he will be charged with attempted armed robbery, and illegal possession of a handgun, she said.