LawFuel – MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the
Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTINA DASRATH,
pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge LAURA
TAYLOR SWAIN to conspiring to defraud a Manhattan bank (the
“Bank”), bank larceny, and making false statements to
investigators. According to the Indictment and Complaints
previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
Between June 2007 and April 2008, CHRISTIAN TORRES -–
who was during that time serving as a New York City Police
Officer — and DASRATH, a teller at a branch of the Bank,
conspired to defraud the Bank by falsely creating the impression
that an unknown man had robbed DASRATH at her teller station,
when in fact TORRES and DASRATH were acting in concert to take
the money. On June 8, 2007, after DASRATH provided TORRES with
information about the Bank’s security procedures, TORRES entered
the Bank, located at 57 Avenue A, New York, New York, and handed
DASRATH a note directing her to “empty both drawers,” and
threatening to “start shooting.” DASRATH then handed TORRES
$16,305 from her teller drawer. TORRES later gave DASRATH a
portion of the stolen money.
The Indictment also charges that after each of the
robberies, on June 8, 2007, and November 16, 2007, DASRATH lied
to law enforcement officials investigating the robberies and
concealed her relationship with TORRES.
DASRATH 20, of the Bronx, New York pleaded guilty to
one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank larceny, and
making false statements to investigators. She faces a maximum
prison term of 45 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on
January 9, 2009.
TORRES pleaded guilty on June 16, 2008 in U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to bank robbery
and firearms offenses in connection with an April 10, 2008
robbery of a bank in Muhlenberg, Pennsylvania. He is scheduled
to be sentenced in that court on September 10, 2008. This Office
is coordinating with federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania to bring
TORRES to New York to face the charges brought against him in the
Indictment.
Mr. GARCIA praised the outstanding investigative work
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City
Police Department.
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 Indictment against TORRES
are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty.
08-217 ###
