Armored Car Employee and Two Co-Defendants Plead Guilty to Theft of Over $500,000 From Armored Car on Long Island

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Alexis Laguerra and Raymond Soto, Sr. pleaded guilty to bank larceny involving the theft of an armored car and over $500,000 from the car on November 2, 2018 in Valley Stream.  Laguerra was an employee of GardaWorld, the owner of the armored car.  Today’s pleas took place before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields.  An additional defendant, Raymond Soto, Jr., pleaded guilty on March 18, 2019 to bank larceny.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the guilty pleas.

As admitted at the plea proceedings, Laguerra used his insider’s knowledge of GardaWorld to plot and carry out the theft.  Laguerra was the assigned GardaWorld driver of the armored car for the overnight shift, and left it unoccupied and unguarded outside a bank.  Soto Jr. then arrived, entered the armored car, and drove it a short distance from the bank.  He then removed three bags of cash, totaling $510,000, from the armored car.  Soto Sr., driving the getaway car, picked up Soto Jr. and the cash, and together they fled the scene.  Law enforcement recovered $130,000 of the stolen money from Soto Sr.’s home.

“This inside job will now land these three defendants inside prison for long enough for them to realize, over and over, what a stupid idea this was,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “We commend the Nassau County Police Department and the FBI for quickly solving this crime and demonstrating, once again, that crime doesn’t pay.” 

When sentenced, all three defendants face up to 10 years in prison, as well as forfeiture of $300,000, restitution of $510,000, and a fine of up to $250,000. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Madeline O’Connor are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

ALEXIS LAGUERRA
Age:  30
Brooklyn, New York

RAYMOND SOTO, SR. (also known as “Razor”)
Age:  48
Richmond Hill, Queens

RAYMOND SOTO, JR. (also known as “Rambo”)
Age: 30
Richmond Hill, Queens

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-678 (SJF)