Juan Cruz Gets 7 Years for 6 Bank Heists Across CT, NY

Juan Cruz, 38, of New Haven, is headed to federal prison for 84 months after being sentenced for a six-bank robbery spree that terrorized tellers and customers across Connecticut and New York last year. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer handed down the sentence in New Haven, adding three years of supervised release following Cruz’s release from prison.

The crime wave began on October 15, 2015, when Cruz stormed into the Santander Bank at 215 Grand Avenue in New Haven and demanded cash. He struck again at the Wells Fargo Bank at 205 Church Street in the same city on October 20, then returned to the same branch on November 7 and November 21—showing a brazen pattern that baffled local investigators. Each time, he walked out with stacks of stolen bills, feeding a growing crime binge.

Not satisfied with striking New Haven repeatedly, Cruz crossed state lines, hitting the Bank of America at 157 Church Street on November 9, 2015. The very next day, he hit Citizens Bank at 10 North Pearl Street in Albany, N.Y., proving his willingness to evade capture by operating across jurisdictions. In total, Cruz stole approximately $18,830 during the string of daylight heists.

His run ended on November 21, 2015, when he was arrested in Chicopee, Massachusetts—caught with evidence linking him to the robberies. From that moment on, Cruz has remained in custody. On September 22, 2016, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of bank robbery, avoiding a trial but sealing his fate behind bars for seven long years.

The investigation was a joint siege led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Haven Police Department, with critical backup from the U.S. Marshals Service, Chicopee Police Department, and Albany Police Department. The coordination between state and federal forces proved decisive in tracking Cruz across multiple states and closing the case swiftly after his arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito prosecuted the case with a relentless focus on accountability. U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly emphasized that crimes like these undermine public safety and will be met with the full force of federal law. Cruz’s 84-month sentence sends a clear message: rob banks, and the feds will chase you to the state line—and beyond.

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