Brett Amante, Armed Bank Robbery, Florida 2021

A ruthless bank robber has been dealt a devastating blow in the courtroom. Brett Amante, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced to nine years and six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

On February 26, 2021, Amante stormed into a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Jacksonville, passing a threatening note to a teller and demanding money. When the teller pressed the panic button, Amante brandished two loaded 9mm pistols and escaped with approximately $1,046.

Thanks to a cleverly placed GPS tracking device in the bag, authorities were able to quickly track Amante’s getaway vehicle to his residence. When officers apprehended him, they found him still armed with one of the 9mm pistols and carrying stolen money and a license plate.

The search of Amante’s house turned up a veritable arsenal, including an AR-15-style rifle, 869 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 993 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, body armor, an unregistered firearms silencer, surveillance equipment, handcuffs, and zip ties. In the getaway vehicle, officers found an unregistered AR-15-style short-barreled rifle loaded with armor-piercing ammunition, multiple loaded spare magazines for the rifle and the 9mm pistols, and other incriminating evidence.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian prosecuted the case.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which aims to reduce violent crime by identifying and addressing the most pressing issues in the community.

Amante’s crimes carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, but thanks to his guilty plea, he will serve nine years and six months behind bars. The court also ordered Amante to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he used in the offense.

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