Weekend Pass Bandit: Mackroy Gets 20 Years

ORLANDO, FL – LaTavis Deyonta Mackroy, 29, of Orlando, Florida, will spend the next two decades in federal prison after being sentenced to 20 years for a brazen spree of bank robberies committed while on weekend passes from a halfway house. U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron handed down the sentence today following a jury conviction on November 4, 2022. Mackroy’s audacity – robbing banks between family visits – earned him a stiff penalty.

Court documents reveal Mackroy was a resident at an Orlando halfway house after a prior conviction. He was granted home passes, allowing him weekend freedom with his family. On April 16, 2022, he allegedly used this freedom to rob the Fairwinds Credit Union in Winter Park, making off with $3,231 after presenting a demand note. He coolly returned to the halfway house the following day, seemingly unfazed.

The following weekend, Mackroy escalated his criminal activity. He robbed a Chase Bank in Kissimmee on Friday, April 22, 2022, netting $4,000. The next day, he hit a TD Bank in Winter Park, stealing $2,820. His luck ran out during an attempted robbery at a Regions Bank in Orange City. A quick-thinking teller refused to comply with the demand note, forcing Mackroy to flee empty-handed. This proved to be his downfall.

Despite wearing a mask and sunglasses during all four robberies, Mackroy left a critical piece of evidence at the scene of the failed Orange City heist: the demand note. Fingerprint analysis confirmed four prints matching Mackroy’s, already on file with the FBI. Investigators then built a solid case linking him to all the robberies. Clothing matching the suspect’s attire in surveillance footage was recovered from his halfway house room. Cellphone and vehicle location data further cemented his presence at each crime scene.

Adding to his woes, Mackroy was already serving a federal sentence for a 2014 pawn shop robbery in Apopka when the April 2022 robberies occurred. The judge enhanced Mackroy’s sentence due to his extensive criminal history, the implied threat of a weapon in his demand notes, and his prior attempts to obstruct justice. Mackroy had previously lied on the stand during pre-trial proceedings regarding his involvement in robberies, both in 2014 and 2022.

The investigation was a collaborative effort led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with support from the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange City Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Michael P. Felicetta prosecuted the case, securing a conviction and ensuring Mackroy will face a lengthy stay behind bars. This case serves as a stark reminder that even temporary freedom won’t shield criminals from justice.