Vincenzo Randazzo was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The conviction arises from Randazzo’s robbery of an Empire State Bank branch in Brooklyn on March 5, 2026. The verdict followed a two-day trial before United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon. Prior to trial, on August 26, 2026, Randazzo pleaded guilty to the robbery of Empire State Bank on March 5, 2026. When sentenced, Randazzo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the bank robbery.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict rightly holds the defendant accountable for entering a Brooklyn bank with a loaded firearm, pointing it at a bank employee, and stealing money,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Brandishing a firearm during a bank robbery endangers innocent victims and transforms an already serious crime into a potentially deadly encounter. Our Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute criminals who use firearms to terrorize our communities.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the case.
“Vincenzo Randazzo used a firearm to commit an armed bank robbery – a violent crime with serious consequences. This verdict sends a clear message: the FBI and our NYPD partners on the Joint Violent Crime Task Force will hold violent criminals accountable and protect New Yorkers,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As proven at trial, on March 5, 2026, Randazzo entered an Empire State Bank branch in Brooklyn, displayed and pointed a loaded firearm at a bank employee, and demanded money. After stealing over $6,000, Randazzo fled the bank in his vehicle, the license plate of which he had concealed, and discarded clothing he had worn during the robbery.
On March 17, 2026, law enforcement officers arrested Randazzo and executed a court-authorized search of his residence. During the search, officers recovered currency taken during the robbery, as well as four firearms together with ammunition and magazines. Three of the recovered firearms resembled the firearm Randazzo brandished during the robbery. In a recorded post-arrest interview, Randazzo admitted that he entered the bank, pulled and pointed a loaded firearm at a teller, and took money from two tellers.
No comments:
Post a Comment