Malcolm Haynes, Post Office and Bank Armed Robberies, CT 2016

HARTFORD, CT – Malcolm Haynes, 26, of New Haven, known on the streets as “Black,” will spend the next 7.5 years behind bars after being sentenced today for a brazen pair of armed robberies that terrorized both a West Haven post office and a Hamden bank in April 2016. U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson handed down the 90-month sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, effectively removing a dangerous individual from Connecticut’s streets.

The crime unfolded on April 21, 2016. Haynes, along with accomplices Derrick White, Howard Bookert, and an unnamed fourth male, rolled up to the Allingtown Post Office at 75 Farwell Avenue in West Haven in a vehicle driven by White. Haynes, brandishing a .22 caliber rifle, led the charge inside, immediately pointing the weapon at patrons and the postal clerk. He barked orders, demanding they stay clear of the door while White vaulted over the counter, strong-arming the clerk away from her station and making off with approximately $491 in cash.

The same crew didn’t stop there. Later that afternoon, they targeted a branch of Wells Fargo Bank at 1647 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. Haynes, again wielding the .22 rifle, stormed the bank with White and the unidentified accomplice. He menacingly swept the rifle across the employees as White raided the teller drawers, pilfering a significantly larger haul of $9,287. This time, the fourth individual upped the ante, flashing what appeared to be a small black semi-automatic pistol, amplifying the fear and intimidation.

Law enforcement moved swiftly. White and Bookert were both apprehended in New Haven on the very same day as the robberies. Crucially, investigators also recovered the rifle Haynes used during both heists – discarded in a plastic garbage bag behind a New Haven residence. Haynes himself was arrested a month later, on May 23, 2016. All three defendants remained detained while awaiting their fates.

Haynes pleaded guilty on February 2, 2017, to one count of armed robbery of a postal employee and one count of armed bank robbery. His co-conspirators, White and Bookert, both of Hamden, have already entered guilty pleas and are now awaiting their own sentencing hearings. The fourth suspect is being prosecuted at the state level.

The successful prosecution was a collaborative effort spearheaded by the West Haven Police Department, Hamden Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King skillfully guided the case through the federal system, securing a significant sentence for Haynes and sending a clear message that armed robbery will not be tolerated in Connecticut. This case underscores the ongoing battle against violent crime plaguing our communities.

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