Three Men Charged With Committing Armed Bank Robberies In Southbury, Cromwell & Wallingford

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven has returned an indictment charging MICHAEL MORRIS, 59, of Bloomfield, LEROY McCOY, 47, of Manchester, and KEITH SUTHERLAND, 48, of Coventry, with conspiring to commit violent bank robberies in Southbury, Cromwell and Wallingford.

The four-count indictment was returned on October 2.  MORRIS and McCOY were arrested on October 4 and are currently detained.  SUTHERLAND is currently detained in state custody on unrelated charges.
According to the indictment, MORRIS, McCOY and SUTHERLAND are alleged to have participated in the armed robberies of the Naugatuck Savings Bank in Southbury on April 20, 2011, the Webster Bank in Cromwell on October 7, 2011, and the Connex Credit Union in Wallingford on April 19, 2012.  The defendants are alleged to have stolen a mini-van in the New Haven area prior to each robbery.

In each of these robberies, masked men armed with handguns burst into the victim banks and ordered tellers and patrons to the floor.  After vaulting the counters and stuffing money from teller drawers into duffle bags, the suspects fled the banks and escaped in stolen vehicles.

A total of approximately $230,000 was taken during the three robberies.

MORRIS, McCOY and SUTHERLAND are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery.  In addition, MORRIS and McCOY are charged with three counts, and SUTHERLAND with one count, of bank robbery.  Each of the charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford.

Acting U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, and the Cromwell, Wallingford, Fairfield and Orange Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.

This investigation is ongoing, and the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of individuals involved in these and similar bank robberies.  Anyone with additional information that may be helpful to the investigation is encouraged to call FBI Special Agent Lisa MacNamara at 203-996-4132.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov