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Former NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty in Manhattan
Federal Court to Bank Robbery Charges
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, announced today that CHRISTIAN
TORRES, a former New York City Police Officer, pleaded guilty
today before United States District Judge LAURA TAYLOR SWAIN to
armed bank robbery, bank larceny, and conspiracy to defraud a
bank. According to the Indictment and Complaints previously
filed in Manhattan federal court, as well as statements made
during today's plea proceeding:
Between June 2007 and April 2008, TORRES and his former
girlfriend, CHRISTINA DASRATH, a teller at the Sovereign Bank
branch at 57 Avenue A, New York, New York, conspired to defraud
the bank by staging a phony bank robbery. Specifically, on June
8, 2007, TORRES entered the bank and handed DASRATH, at her
teller station, a note directing her to "empty both drawers," and
threatening to "start shooting." DASRATH then gave TORRES
$16,305 from her teller drawer, a portion of which TORRES later
shared with her.
On November 16, 2007, making use of bank security
information DASRATH had provided to him, TORRES came back to rob
the same bank. As employees were opening the branch he
approached them and ordered them to open the door. When one of
the employees refused, TORRES threatened to kill the employee and
pulled back the side of his jacket to reveal the black handle of
a gun that was tucked into his waistband. Once inside the bank,
TORRES ordered the employees not to look at him, to leave their
cell phones on a table, and to open the vault. TORRES then
ordered one of the employees to tie up the legs of another
employee. After retrieving latex gloves from a duffel bag he was
carrying and putting on a black ski mask, TORRES instructed one
of the employees to put money inside the bag. TORRES then
ordered the employees into the vault, took their keys, and told
them to stay in the vault for ten minutes, adding that if one of
them looked at him funny, he would be back. TORRES absconded with approximately $102,000, a portion of which he later shared
with DASRATH.
TORRES 23, of Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to one
count of conspiring to commit bank fraud, one count of bank
larceny, and one count of bank robbery. He faces a maximum term
of thirty years in prison on the bank fraud conspiracy charge,
ten years in prison on the bank larceny charge, and twenty-five
years on the bank robbery charge. TORRES is scheduled be
sentenced by Judge SWAIN on November 6, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
CHRISTINA DASRATH pleaded guilty to bank fraud, bank
larceny, and false statements charges on September 5, 2008 and
was sentenced by Judge SWAIN to 30 months in prison on January 9,
2009.
U.S. Attorney BHARARA stated: "Officers of the NYPD put
themselves in harm's way every day to protect the citizens of New
York City. Today, Christian Torres admitted that he brazenly
betrayed his badge by stealing from the very people he swore an
oath to protect."
Mr. BHARARA also praised the outstanding investigative
work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City
Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office's Public
Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney DANIEL STEIN
is in charge of the prosecution.
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