Buffalo, NY – Joseph Licata, 52, of Buffalo, NY, was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged role in a string of robberies, including a bank robbery, in Buffalo, New York in January 2020.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is handling the case, Licata allegedly escaped from the United States Penitentiary Coleman II in Sumterville, Florida, in mid to late-January 2020. Later that same day, Licata entered the M&T Bank branch on Grant Street in Buffalo, and passed a demand note to the victim-teller, threatening the teller if the teller did not give him cash. The victim-teller complied and gave Licata U.S. currency.
Later that same day, Licata allegedly entered a Speedway Gas Station on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo and demanded cash. The victim-clerk complied and gave U.S. currency to Licata. Law enforcement officers arrested Licata and found him in possession of currency taken during the robberies.
In 2010, Licata was previously convicted in federal court of committing a bank robbery in Buffalo and was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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