Federal Jury Convicts Bank Branch Manager of Armored Truck Robbery

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Valentina Elebesunu, age 49, of Temple Hills, Maryland late yesterday of conspiracy to commit an armed robbery, and robbery, of an armored truck.

The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

Elebesunu was the branch manager at a Bank of America located at 3413 Kenilworth Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland.  According to evidence presented at the five day trial, between mid-November and November 21, 2012, Elebesunu conspired with Damione Lewis – a security guard at the bank, Delacey Brown, Taurian Miller, Adriane Baldwin and Barrington Turner to rob an armored truck that serviced the bank branch.  Trial evidence showed that Elebesunu had provided Lewis with inside information about the precise amount of funds scheduled to be picked up by the armored truck.  Lewis, in turn, provided that information to the other co-conspirators.

On November 21, 2012, an armored car employee picked up $272,956.17 from the bank. Elebesunu and Lewis were working their respective jobs at the bank at the time.  Elebesunu’s co-conspirators were in vans outside the bank.   As the employee was taking the money from the bank to the armored truck, Elebesunu’s co-conspirators approached the employee brandishing firearms, took the money bags to their vans and drove away.  The robbery proceeds were later divided between Elebesunu and her co-conspirators.

Elebesunu faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy and the robbery counts.  U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for August 25, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.

Damione Lewis, age 36, of New Carrolton, Maryland; Delacey Kinte Brown, age 38, of Landover, Maryland; and Taurian Devon Miller, age 30, and Adrian Baldwin, age 29, both of Washington, DC; and Barrington Turner, age 35, of Forestville, Maryland; have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the robbery.  Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2015 and the remaining four defendants have been sentenced to between 51 and 96 months in prison.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Prince George’s County Police Department and other members of the Cross Border Task Force for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Bryan E. Foreman, who are prosecuting the case.