Former Bank Teller Convicted In White Plains Federal Court With Participating In Violent Bank Robbery In October 2013

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VIRGINIA BLANCO was found guilty on all counts of a three-count Indictment yesterday that charged her with participating in the robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Yonkers, New York, in October 2013, and with aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery.  The verdict came following a four-day jury trial in White Plains federal court before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “The robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank branch in Yonkers was an inside job.  With yesterday’s verdict, Virginia Blanco, the insider who made the violent robbery possible, stands convicted.”

According to the Superseding Indictment and the evidence at trial:           

In or about October 2013, BLANCO was working as a teller at a Wells Fargo Bank branch located at 500 Odell Avenue in Yonkers, New York (the “Wells Fargo Branch”).  She conspired with co-defendant Giovanny Marte to rob the Wells Fargo Branch and provided critical information to Marte that allowed him and his co-conspirators to carry out the robbery successfully.  On October 29, 2013, at approximately 3:17 p.m., Marte and three co-conspirators arrived at the Wells Fargo Branch.  One co-conspirator remained in the car while Marte and two co-conspirators entered the bank.  Marte and another robber each brandished a firearm and the third robber brandished a wood saw.  During the robbery, Marte fired two shots but did not hit anyone.  He accessed the vault, filled a laundry bag with approximately $303,500 in cash, and fled the Wells Fargo Branch with the other robbers.  Following the robbery, BLANCO and Marte took a trip together to Aruba using proceeds from the robbery.

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BLANCO, 29, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on Count One (conspiracy), a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on Count Two (bank robbery); and a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, on Count Three (firearm offense).  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  Judge Seibel remanded BLANCO following her conviction and she is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2018.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives of the FBI, United States Probation, the City of Yonkers Police Department, the City of Peekskill Police Department, the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, the New York City Police Department, the Westchester County Police, the Greenburgh Police Department, New York State Police, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jamie Bagliebter, Margery Feinzig, Douglas Zolkind, and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.