Skip to main content
Press Release

Miami Lawyer Charged with Bank Robbery

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida

Miami, Florida – Federal prosecutors have charged 41-year-old Miami lawyer Aaron Patrick Honaker with committing a series of bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in South Florida over the past three weeks.

U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro made the announcement. 

The criminal complaint charges Honaker with robbing $1050 from an Aventura bank on October 3, and robbing $800 from a Coral Gables bank on October 10. It also charges him with attempting to rob four banks in Coral Gables around that same time.

According to allegations in the complaint affidavit, Honaker followed a consistent approach during the six robbery attempts, two of which were successful: Honaker would enter each bank alone, walk up to a teller window, and ask the teller for assistance in making a withdrawal. Honaker would pass a note to the bank teller that contained hand-written instructions and warnings, such as “[d]on’t touch the alarm or call the police,” “empty all of your $50s and $100s and put it in an envelope,” and “[k]eep calm, and give me all the money in the drawer, I have a gun.” Honaker would take his note with him on the way out of the bank, says the affidavit.   

FBI Miami issued law enforcement bulletins containing descriptions and bank surveillance images of the robber. According to the complaint, on October 20, officers spotted a man matching the FBI bulletin descriptions who appeared to be casing the area around a Coral Gables bank. Officers approached the man and identified him as Honaker.

At the time of his arrest, Honaker had a ball-point hammer tucked in his waistband and carried what appeared to be bank robbery demand notes and instructions on “how-to” commit bank robberies, says the affidavit. The affidavit also describes items that officers found inside Honaker’s backpack, including draft and final versions of two bank robbery notes.

Honaker had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia M. Otazo-Reyes. His pretrial detention hearing is set for Friday, October 23, at 11:00 a.m., in federal magistrate court in Miami. 

FBI Miami investigated this case, with cooperation and assistance from Coral Gables Police Department and Aventura Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Gilfarb, Lauren Astigarraga, and Christopher Hudock of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting this case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls

You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 20-mj-03861.

###

Contact

Marlene Rodriguez
Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney
Public Affairs Officer
Marlene.Rodriguez@usdoj.gov

Updated October 21, 2020