Bryce Alexander Laister, 25, formerly of Bridgeport, walked into federal court in Hartford today and admitted to holding up five Connecticut banks in a seven-month crime spree that terrorized tellers and triggered a massive law enforcement response. The man, now in handcuffs, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery, confessing to a string of heists that spanned from Milford to New Haven.
Between November 2016 and June 2017, Laister struck bank after bank with cold precision. He robbed the Webster Bank at 314 Merwin Avenue in Milford on November 30, 2016. Then, on April 7, 2017, he hit the Key Bank at 133 East Main Street in Plainville, where he threatened to kill employees if they didn’t hand over cash. Just weeks later, on May 5, he repeated the threat at the Key Bank on Boston Post Road in Westbrook—this time, again wielding the threat of deadly force.
The violence escalated during the May 30, 2017, robbery of the People’s United Bank inside the Stop and Shop on Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton. Surveillance footage later showed Laister brandishing a pistol, his face partially disguised, demanding money while employees froze in fear. His final heist came on June 10, 2017, at another People’s United Bank—this one inside a Stop and Shop at 112 Amity Road in New Haven—where he again used deception and intimidation to flee with stolen cash.
Laister’s run ended in Stratford on June 15, 2017, after a two-hour standoff with local and federal law enforcement. Armed and barricaded, he resisted arrest before being taken into custody. Officers recovered a .380 caliber pistol and a magazine loaded with two bullets. A search of one of his vehicles uncovered damning evidence: clothing worn during the June 10 robbery, a makeup kit used to alter his appearance, and a Stop and Shop circular—linking him directly to the scene.
Now facing justice, Laister is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Alfred V. Covello on May 17, 2018. He could spend up to 25 years behind bars. Since his arrest, he has remained in federal custody with no bond. Prosecutors called the crime spree a brazen assault on public safety, marked by escalating threats and armed confrontation.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and Connecticut State Police, with critical support from the Milford, Plainville, Shelton, New Haven, and Stratford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan is prosecuting the case, vowing that crimes like these won’t go unanswered on Connecticut’s streets.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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