U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

STATEMENT FROM MARK J. MERSHON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-IN-CHARGE OF THE FBI NEW YORK OFFICE

Late last night into early this morning, FBI special agents and NYPD detectives of the FBI-NYPD Joint Bank Robbery Task Force arrested ANTHONY DIGIOSAFFATE, DOB: 03/19/1955, and PAUL VILLANUEVA, DOB: 10/06/1968, in connection with the armed robbery on Tuesday, July 11, 2006, of the Queens County Savings Bank, 156-02 Cross Bay Boulevard, in Howard Beach, NY. Both individuals were arrested without incident at the Metro Hotel, 73-00 Queens Boulevard, Queens, NY.

Formed in 1979, the FBI-NYPD Joint Bank Robbery Task Force was the first ever permanent FBI-local law enforcement task force in the country. Since then, its dedicated agents and detectives have had remarkable success in getting violent bank robbers off the streets and in prison. In this instance, it took them less than 72 hours to safely apprehend the two suspects allegedly responsible for robbing the bank and terrorizing its employees and patrons. This is a true testament to their crime-fighting partnership.

The FBI wishes to extend its appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the 106th Precinct in Howard Beach, the NYPD Major Case Squad, and the New York State Department of Parole for their assistance in this investigation.