Orlando Area Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison

ORLANDO, FL—U.S. Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced Jenny Elie (age 25, of Orlando) to 32 years in federal prison for committing armed bank robberies of two branches of the Fifth Third Bank in May and then September 2008. The court also ordered Elie to forfeit the firearm used during the crimes and to pay full restitution. Elie's co-defendants, Bernard Benjamin (age 25, of Orlando) and Eli Pierre (age 25, of Orlando) were each sentenced to seven years in federal prison for helping Elie commit the September 2008 Fifth Third bank robbery and were ordered to pay restitution as well.

According to court documents, Elie used a firearm to rob the Fifth Third Bank in Winter Park in May 2008 and stole more than $13,000 from the bank. In September 2008 Elie, Benjamin, and Pierre robbed another branch of Fifth Third bank and stole more than $1,000. Elie held the manager and others at gunpoint, while Benjamin took money from the teller. Pierre assisted Elie in controlling the employees and unsuccessfully attempted to get into the vault. All three defendants were apprehended shortly after the robbery in Elie's car and found with the firearm and the bank's money. After Elie was caught, his fingerprint was matched to a print recovered from the May 2008 bank robbery.

This case was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Bishop Ravenel.