Man Sentenced in Lakewood Bank Robbery

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Darren Michael Connolly, age 27, of Englewood, was sentenced to 147 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for bank robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing a weapon during a federal crime of violence.  His codefendant, James David Trujillo Jr., age 25, of Lakewood, was sentenced on September 18, 2023, to 135 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

According to facts presented at trial, on June 15, 2022, Connolly and Trujillo robbed a Canvas Credit Union on West 5th Avenue in Lakewood. The men were armed with an AR-15 and shotgun. Connolly was wearing a GPS bracelet at the time of the robbery. Both he and codefendant Trujillo were covered in masks and ran from the bank to a waiting getaway car. Connolly was arrested at his residence on June 16, 2022 and charged. Officers found the AR-15 and shotgun in Connolly’s residence. Investigators were able to identify Trujillo soon thereafter.  Connolly subsequently pleaded guilty, and a jury found Trujillo guilty of bank robbery, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and brandishing a weapon during a federal crime of violence.

“We will not tolerate such brazen criminal conduct in our communities,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We thank our law enforcement partners for their invaluable help in bringing these defendants to justice.”

“It’s a blatant criminal who carries out the armed robbery of a bank while he is being monitored on parole. Clearly, this is a hardened felon and the public is safer with him behind bars,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force will continue to work with state and local agencies to protect our communities from violent criminals.”

United States District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello presided over the sentencing on November 14, 2023.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Coccaro handled the prosecutions.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

CASE NUMBER:  22-cr-00213