Lavon Young, 38, and David C. Earl, 25, both of Union City, New Jersey, are facing federal charges after a grand jury indictment tied them to a violent bank robbery spree across two Connecticut towns on January 27, 2018. The assault began with an attempted heist at a Key Bank in Branford and ended in the successful robbery of $9,754 from a TD Bank branch on Route 81 in Killingworth.
Federal prosecutors say the two men drove into Connecticut with a plan—and executed it with precision. Surveillance footage from the Killingworth location shows the suspects entering the bank, threatening employees, and fleeing with cash. Authorities believe the same suspects failed at the Branford branch before moving south to complete their crime.
Arrested the same day in East Haven, Young and Earl have been behind bars ever since, initially held on multiple state charges. Now, they face the full weight of federal law. The indictment unsealed today charges both men with one count of attempted bank robbery and one count of bank robbery—each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, who announced the indictment from New Haven, emphasized that the charges are allegations. “An indictment is not evidence of guilt,” Durham said. “The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” But the evidence trail—spanning video, forensic data, and interagency coordination—is mounting.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with critical support from the Connecticut State Police, Branford Police Department, and East Haven Police Department. The swift arrest on January 27 suggests law enforcement was hot on their trail within hours of the dual incidents.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Kopel and Douglas Morabito are prosecuting the case. With federal trials often tougher on defendants, Young and Earl now face a legal battlefield far beyond what state court would have offered. The case is expected to move quickly toward arraignment in the District of Connecticut.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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