Six Men Charged in White Plains Federal Court in Connection with December Robbery of Chase Bank in Yonkers, New York

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JANICE FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today that LINTON WILLIAMS, LINROY BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, LEROY SCOTT, RAMSEY ACEVEDO, and JOHN SANTOS were indicted in connection with the December 17, 2010 robbery of a Chase Bank in Yonkers, New York. WILLIAMS, BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, and LEROY SCOTT were each arrested in March 2011 and detained without bail. SANTOS and ACEVEDO were arrested in May 2011 and also detained without bail.

According to the indictments filed in White Plains federal court, previously filed complaints, and information revealed during court proceedings:

On December 17, 2010, WILLIAMS, BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, LEROY SCOTT, and ACEVEDO, drove to the vicinity of the Chase Bank, located at 2195 Central Park Avenue in Yonkers, New York (the bank). At approximately 6:00 p.m., BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, and LEROY SCOTT, each of whom was carrying what appeared to be a weapon, entered the bank. BLAKE then told a bank employee to get the key to the vault, jumped over the teller counter, and followed two bank employees into the vault area. Once the vault was unlocked, BLAKE opened a bag and directed the two bank employees to put the money—which totaled $410,100—into his bag. BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, and LEROY SCOTT then fled the Chase Bank and traveled to an apartment located on Morris Avenue in Bronx, New York, where all of the co-conspirators gathered to divide the proceeds. Later that evening, SANTOS aided the participants in the bank robbery by destroying evidence and storing the robbery proceeds.

The six men are charged in two separate indictments—U.S. v. Williams et al., and U.S. v. Ramsey Acevedo. WILLIAMS, BLAKE, LEON SCOTT, LEROY SCOTT, and ACEVEDO are each charged with one count conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of armed bank robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. SANTOS is charged with being an accessory after the fact to the bank robbery, and faces a maximum penalty of not more than one half the maximum term of imprisonment for the punishment of the principals.

Mr. BHARARA praised the efforts and assistance of the FBI, the Yonkers Police Department, and the Westchester County Police Department.

This case is being handled by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney KATHRYN MARTIN is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the complaints and indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.