Santa Fe Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Robbery Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Fidel Naranjo, 27, of Santa Fe, N.M., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a bank robbery charge.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Naranjo will be sentenced to 40 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Naranjo and his codefendant, Kendra Brophy, 29, of San Pedro, N.M., were arrested in Dec. 2015, on criminal complaints charging them with robbing the New Mexico Bank and Trust located at 411 Carr Lane in Espanola, N.M. on Dec. 2, 2015.  The complaint alleged that Naranjo robbed the bank by approaching the bank teller, threatening to shoot her, and demanding money.  Naranjo left the bank and was driven away from the scene by Brophy. 

Naranjo and Brophy were subsequently indicted on Dec. 17, 2015, and charged with bank robbery on Dec. 2, 2015, in Rio Arriba County, N.M.

During yesterday’s change of plea hearing, Naranjo pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Dec. 2, 2015, he robbed the New Mexico Bank and Trust in Espanola, by entering the bank and demanding money from the teller.  He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.

Brophy previously pled guilty to a felony information charging her with misprision of a felony on April 21, 2016.  In entering her guilty plea, Brophy admitted that on Dec. 2, 2015, her codefendant Naranjo robbed a bank while she waited nearby.  Brophy admitted concealing the identity of the bank robber and the cash he obtained during the robbery, and failing to notify the authorities about her codefendant and the robbery.  At sentencing, Brophy faces a statutory maximum penalty of three years in prison.  Her sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Han.