Manchester Man Indicted For Multiple 'Violent Bank Robberies'

A Manchester man was among three individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in New Haven on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, for "conspiring to commit violent bank robberies in Southbury, Cromwell and Wallingford."

According to Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Leroy McKoy, 47, of Manchester was indicted along with Michael Morris, 59 of Bloomfield, and Keith Sutherland, 48, of Coventry, for a series of armed bank robberies. 

Daly said in a statement that the three men staged armed robberies at the Naugatuck Savings Bank in Southbury on April 20, 2011, the Webster Bank in Cromwell on October 7, 2011, and the Connex Credit Union in Wallingford on April 19, 2012, in scenes reminiscent of the movie "Heat." 

"In each of these robberies, masked men armed with handguns burst into the victim banks and ordered tellers and patrons to the floor," Daly said in a statement. "After vaulting the counters and stuffing money from teller drawers into duffle bags, the suspects fled the banks and escaped in stolen vehicles."

Prior to each robbery, the defendants are alleged to have stolen a minivan from the New Haven area. Combined, McKoy, Morris and Sutherland stole approximately $230,000, Daly said. 

McKoy, Morris and Sutherland are each facing one count of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, while McCoy and Morris are also facing three counts of bank robbery, and Sutherland one count of bank robbery. Each of the charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, according to Daly. 

The investigation remains ongoing, according to Daly, and the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of individuals involved in these and similar bank robberies.  Anyone with additional information that may be helpful to the investigation is encouraged to call FBI Special Agent Lisa MacNamara at 203-996-4132.