Denver Man Pleads Guilty to 10 Armed Bank Robberies

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jerome Bravo, age 39, of Denver, has pleaded guilty to ten counts of bank robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to the plea agreement, the defendant robbed ten banks in Denver, Aurora, and Arvada between January 6, 2021, and March 31, 2021. In the January 6^th robbery, the defendant was armed with a black handgun, pointed it at a teller, and stated, "Don't move, I'm going to shoot you." After taking money from the drawer, he jumped back over the counter and left the bank. On February 4, 2021, and February 8, 2021, the defendant and a codefendant ran into two banks yelling and screaming, waiving and pointing their handguns at people in the banks. The defendant demanded the teller open her drawer as he vaulted over the counter. Out of fear, the teller complied and removed money from her drawer and gave it to the defendant and his codefendant. In a second bank robbery on February 8, 2021, the defendant and codefendant ran into the bank brandishing handguns, vaulted the counter, and demanded money from the teller. The teller was in fear for her life and safety and gave the robbers the money in her drawers and from the machine. After obtaining the money, the defendant and codefendant vaulted the counters and ran out of the bank. On February 18, 2021, the defendant and codefendant entered the branch brandishing handguns, yelling “get down,” and warning that they weren’t “playing.” The defendant and codefendant also threatened to shoot the occupants of the bank. The defendant vaulted over the counter and emptied out several teller drawers, actually physically taking the drawer units.

Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the change of plea hearing on November 22, 2022. The defendant will be sentenced February 21, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. Codefendant Jonathan Gullete is in custody and facing trial on February 27, 2023.

This was investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and Arvada Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-226