Former NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Bank Robbery Charges

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CHRISTIAN TORRES, a former New York City Police Officer, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN to armed bank robbery, bank larceny, and conspiracy to defraud a bank. According to the Indictment and Complaints previously filed in Manhattan federal court, as well as statements made during today's plea proceeding:

Between June 2007 and April 2008, TORRES and his former girlfriend, CHRISTINA DASRATH, a teller at the Sovereign Bank branch at 57 Avenue A, New York, New York, conspired to defraud the bank by staging a phony bank robbery. Specifically, on June 8, 2007, TORRES entered the bank and handed DASRATH, at her teller station, a note directing her to "empty both drawers," and threatening to "start shooting." DASRATH then gave TORRES $16,305 from her teller drawer, a portion of which TORRES later shared with her.

On November 16, 2007, making use of bank security information DASRATH had provided to him, TORRES came back to rob the same bank. As employees were opening the branch he approached them and ordered them to open the door. When one of the employees refused, TORRES threatened to kill the employee and pulled back the side of his jacket to reveal the black handle of a gun that was tucked into his waistband. Once inside the bank, TORRES ordered the employees not to look at him, to leave their cell phones on a table, and to open the vault. TORRES then ordered one of the employees to tie up the legs of another employee. After retrieving latex gloves from a duffel bag he was carrying and putting on a black ski mask, TORRES instructed one of the employees to put money inside the bag. TORRES then ordered the employees into the vault, took their keys, and told them to stay in the vault for ten minutes, adding that if one of them looked at him funny, he would be back. TORRES absconded with approximately $102,000, a portion of which he later shared with DASRATH.

TORRES 23, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud, one count of bank larceny, and one count of bank robbery. He faces a maximum term of thirty years in prison on the bank fraud conspiracy charge, ten years in prison on the bank larceny charge, and twenty-five years on the bank robbery charge. TORRES is scheduled be sentenced by Judge SWAIN on November 6, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

CHRISTINA DASRATH pleaded guilty to bank fraud, bank larceny, and false statements charges on September 5, 2008 and was sentenced by Judge SWAIN to 30 months in prison on January 9, 2009.

U.S. Attorney BHARARA stated: "Officers of the NYPD put themselves in harm's way every day to protect the citizens of New York City. Today, Christian Torres admitted that he brazenly betrayed his badge by stealing from the very people he swore an oath to protect."

Mr. BHARARA also praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.

This case is being handled by the Office's Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney DANIEL STEIN is in charge of the prosecution.