Gino Rizzo, Bank Robbery, Connecticut 2022

Gino Rizzo, 29, Sentenced to 5 Years for Bank Robbery in Connecticut

Gino Rizzo, a 29-year-old man from Middletown, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for robbing three supermarket banks in 2022. Rizzo was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven on January 25, 2023.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Rizzo used notes demanding cash to rob People’s United Bank branches located in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Glastonbury on July 16, 2022, in Newington on July 18, 2022, and in West Hartford on July 20, 2022. Rizzo’s girlfriend, Jalania Pantano, also participated in the West Hartford robbery.

Rizzo was arrested on July 21, 2022. On April 11, 2023, while on pre-trial release, he disconnected his GPS electronic monitoring bracelet and absconded from his court-mandated rehabilitation center. He has been detained since his re-arrest on May 22, 2023.

Rizzo pleaded guilty to bank robbery on January 25, 2023. His girlfriend, Jalania Pantano, was also arrested and pleaded guilty to bank robbery on August 23, 2023. Pantano was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment on December 5, 2023.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Middletown, Glastonbury, Newington, and West Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Robert S. Dearington.

Gino Rizzo will serve 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the bank robberies. His girlfriend, Jalania Pantano, will serve 30 months of imprisonment for her involvement in the West Hartford robbery.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/middletown-man-sentenced-5-years-federal-prison-robbing-3-supermarket-banks-2022