LAWFUEL – MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant
Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (“FBI”), and RAYMOND W. KELLY, Police
Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today
the filing of a Complaint against CHRISTINA DASRATH, a teller
employed at a bank branch in Manhattan, charging her in
connection with two apparent bank robberies in June and November
2007 in Manhattan. According to the Complaint filed today in
Manhattan federal court:
DASRATH provided information to a co-conspirator about
the branch’s security procedures, including procedures regarding
how bank employees were to respond to robbery attempts. On June
8, 2007, DASRATH’s co-conspirator handed DASRATH a note directing
DASRATH to “empty both drawers,” and threatening to “start
shooting.” DASRATH complied by handing her co-conspirator
approximately $16,305 from her teller drawer.
On November 16,
2007, DASRATH’s co-conspirator again robbed the Sovereign Bank at
57 Avenue A, by displaying a gun to bank employees and
threatening to kill an employee to gain entry to the bank,
ordering the employees to bring him in to the vault in the back
of the bank, and then having DASRATH fill a duffel bag with
approximately $102,000 in cash. After each robbery, DASRATH met
with her co-conspirator to receive a portion of the stolen money,
and covered up in interviews with investigators her knowledge of
the identity of the person who committed the robberies.
DASRATH is charged with one count of conspiring to
commit bank fraud, one count of bank robbery, and one count of
making false statements to investigators. Together, DASRATH
faces a total of 60 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
DASRATH, 20, of the Bronx, New York, is expected to be
presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge
DEBRA FREEMAN.
Mr. GARCIA praised the outstanding investigative work
of the FBI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public
Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney DANIEL STEIN
is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely
accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty.
08-092 ###
