José Soto, a 53-year-old man from Passaic, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 276 months in prison for his role as the gunman in two armed bank robberies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Soto was previously convicted of two bank robberies, conspiracy to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during those robberies following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini.
The first bank robbery occurred on February 6, 2020, at the PNC Bank in Passaic, where Soto and his conspirator entered the bank while wearing face coverings and holding umbrellas. Soto pointed a silver and black handgun at customers and employees and began ordering everyone down on the floor. His conspirator entered the bank and jumped over the teller counter, demanding that the teller turn over all cash in the drawers. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $35,000 from the PNC Bank.
The second bank robbery occurred on February 27, 2020, at the Valley Bank in Little Falls, New Jersey. Soto and the same conspirator entered the bank, with Soto again pointing a silver and black gun at customers and employees. His conspirator jumped over the teller counter and began rifling through various drawers. Soto and his conspirator, at gunpoint, forced the bank employees to open the vault, and began retrieving cash from the bank vault. They then forced all employees and customers into the bank vault and fled through the rear door of the Valley Bank. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $45,000 from the Valley Bank.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Soto to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the FBI Newark Violent Incident Crimes Task Force, Garrett Mountain Resident Agency, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
Related Federal Cases
- Gregory George Branch, Armed Commercial and Bank Robberies, MD, 2023 · Alabama
- Jose Lemus, Armed Bank Robbery, California 2011 · California
- Jeffrey L. Kniffin, Armed Bank Robbery, New Jersey 2025 · New Jersey
- Samuel Campbell, Armed Bank Robbery, CA, 2016 · Tennessee
- Luis Castaneda, Armed Bank Robbery, NJ 2014-2015 · New Jersey
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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