U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest Of William Mateo For November 18 Gunpoint Robbery Of A Bank In Central Nyack, New York

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, the Assistant Director-in-charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Robert Mahon, the Acting Chief of the Clarkstown Police Department (“CPD”), announced the arrest of WILLIAM MATEO on charges of bank robbery and a firearms offense.  MATEO was arrested yesterday in Elmsford, New York, and will be presented later today in the Southern District of New York in White Plains before United States Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, William Mateo entered a bank in Central Nyack with a mask and a gun, robbed the bank of over $6,000, and then fired a shot toward one of the bank tellers.  Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI and Clarkstown Police, just three days after the bank robbery, Mateo is under arrest facing federal criminal charges.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney said:  “The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force worked tirelessly to find the suspect accused in this bank robbery because of the threat he posed to the community.  Bank tellers complied and gave him the money he demanded, but before leaving, he fired a round in the direction of the tellers.  His alleged disregard for the harm he could have cause the people and workers show why it was extremely important to find and arrest him.”

CPD Acting Police Chief Captain Robert Mahon said: “I’m so proud of the entire Clarkstown Police Department for bringing this suspect to justice without any injuries to the public or our officers.  Our detectives and the FBI agents assigned to this case worked tirelessly over the past weekend to identify, surveil and apprehend William Mateo for this alleged violent crime.  This arrest exemplifies the highest level of dedication and professionalism shown by both the Clarkstown Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint[1] charging MATEO, and other documents in the public record:

On November 18, 2016, MATEO committed a gunpoint robbery of the Key Bank in Central Nyack, New York.  At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a mask and gloves, and carrying a semi-automatic handgun.  After entering the bank, MATEO approached two bank tellers, who handed him cash.  Before exiting, he fired a round in the direction of one of the tellers.  The bullet hit a wooden partition between two tellers, and no one was injured.  MATEO then exited the bank and fled in a car.  MATEO’s vehicle was captured on the bank’s surveillance cameras and observed by a witness.  In a search of MATEO’s residence, law enforcement recovered a mask, a box of gloves matching those worn during the robbery, and a safe containing, among other items, shell casings, live ammunition, and more than $2,000.  After arresting MATEO at a hotel in Elmsford, New York, law enforcement recovered from his hotel room a semi-automatic handgun, a glove, and a firearm magazine.  MATEO subsequently gave a post-arrest statement admitting that he had committed the bank robbery and that he had discharged a firearm during the crime.  In total, MATEO obtained approximately $6,400.

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MATEO, 24, of Valley Cottage, New York, is charged with one count of bank robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.  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 a judge.

Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the Clarkstown Police Department and the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of agents and task force officers from the FBI, the U.S. Probation Office, the Westchester County Police Department, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the New York City Police Department, the City of Yonkers Police Department, the Peekskill Police Department, and the Mount Vernon Police Department. 

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher J. Clore and Gillian Grossman are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.