Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LEROY McCOY, 49, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing violent bank robberies in Southbury, Cromwell and Wallingford.

According to court documents and statements made in court, McCOY, Michael Morris and Keith Sutherland conspired to commit the armed robberies of the Naugatuck Savings Bank in Southbury on April 20, 2011, the Webster Bank in Cromwell on October 7, 2011, and the Connex Credit Union in Wallingford on April 19, 2012.

Prior to each robbery, Sutherland, with the knowledge of McCOY and Morris, stole a minivan in the New Haven area. Upon arriving at each victim bank, McCOY, Morris and two other individuals, wearing masks and armed with handguns, burst into the bank and ordered employees and customers to the ground. They then forced a bank employee to open the vault, stuffed money taken from the vault and teller drawers into duffle bags, exited the bank fled in the stolen vehicle.

A total of approximately $230,000 was taken during the three robberies.

McCOY has been detained since his arrest on October 4, 2013. On September 11, 2014, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery.

McCOY’s criminal history includes nine convictions for felony offenses, including robbery.

Morris and Sutherland have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, and the Cromwell, Wallingford, Fairfield and Orange Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.