UNITED STATES CHARGES BANK TELLER
IN CONNECTION WITH TWO MANHATTAN BANK ROBBERIES

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and RAYMOND W. KELLY, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today the filing of a Complaint against CHRISTINA DASRATH, a teller employed at a bank branch in Manhattan, charging her in connection with two apparent bank robberies in June and November 2007 in Manhattan. According to the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:

DASRATH provided information to a co-conspirator about the branch’s security procedures, including procedures regarding how bank employees were to respond to robbery attempts. On June 8, 2007, DASRATH’s co-conspirator handed DASRATH a note directing DASRATH to “empty both drawers,” and threatening to “start shooting.” DASRATH complied by handing her co-conspirator approximately $16,305 from her teller drawer. On November 16, 2007, DASRATH’s co-conspirator again robbed the Sovereign Bank at
57 Avenue A, by displaying a gun to bank employees and threatening to kill an employee to gain entry to the bank, ordering the employees to bring him in to the vault in the back of the bank, and then having DASRATH fill a duffel bag with approximately $102,000 in cash. After each robbery, DASRATH met with her co-conspirator to receive a portion of the stolen money, and covered up in interviews with investigators her knowledge of the identity of the person who committed the robberies.

DASRATH is charged with one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud, one count of bank robbery, and one count of making false statements to investigators. Together, DASRATH faces a total of 60 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

DASRATH, 20, of the Bronx, New York, is expected to be presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge DEBRA FREEMAN.

Mr. GARCIA praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney DANIEL STEIN is 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.

08-092 ###