Ricardo Rodriguez Jr, Armed Bank Robbery, FL 2024

Orlando, FL – A brazen armed bank robbery netted $295,000 in cold cash before it unraveled within hours, landing Ricardo Rodriguez, Jr., 24, behind bars and implicating fellow Deltona man Brandon Mojica, 23, in the heist. The Federal complaint paints a picture of violence, betrayal, and a swift collapse under law enforcement pressure.

On the morning of November 8, 2016, Rodriguez stormed into a Lake Mary bank brandishing a firearm, forcing two employees at gunpoint to open the vault. One of those employees was Mojica, who, according to investigators, wasn’t a victim but a co-conspirator who helped plan the robbery. Rodriguez yanked $295,000 from the safe, physically restrained both staff members, and fled—only to be tracked down minutes later by Lake Mary Police.

Officers intercepted Rodriguez during a high-speed pursuit, recovering the full $295,000 in stolen cash and the firearm used during the robbery. The speed of the takedown stunned locals, but the deeper twist emerged in the DOJ’s complaint: Mojica had fed Rodriguez insider details about bank operations and staff routines ahead of the assault, turning a workplace into a war zone.

Rodriguez and Mojica appeared in federal court the following day, facing the full weight of federal prosecution. After a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate judges ordered Rodriguez held without bond, citing the violent nature of the crime. Mojica was placed in temporary custody pending a formal detention hearing set for November 17, 2016.

Both men are charged with armed bank robbery under federal law, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison if either is convicted. Authorities stress that a criminal complaint is not a conviction—every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the Lake Mary Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Emily C.L. Chang is leading the prosecution, promising a relentless push for justice. For now, the vault is secure, the cash returned, and the suspects behind bars—but the courtroom battle looms ahead.