Serial Bank Robber Pleads Guilty to Indictment

A Jupiter resident pled guilty yesterday to committing a string of robberies in Palm Beach and Martin Counties in 2017 and 2018.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Bruce H. Colton, State Attorney for Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and Saint Lucie Counties, Dave Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) and Daniel J. Kerr, Chief, Jupiter Police Department (JPD), made the announcement.

On the scheduled trial date, Ronnie Montsdeoca, age 59, of Jupiter, Florida, pled guilty to the superseding indictment, which charged three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. At sentencing, the defendant faces a combined maximum statutory sentence of 80 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.00.  Montsdeoca is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks on April 16, 2019, in Miami, Florida.

According to the court record, including the indictment and the defendant’s admissions at the time of the plea, Montsdeoca robbed a TD Bank in Jupiter Florida on April 21, 2017, a Wells Fargo Bank in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 27, 2018, and another TD Bank in Stuart, Florida, on September 10, 2018.  Montsdeoca also attempted to rob a Bank United in Hobe Sound, Florida, shortly before the TD Bank robbery on September 10, 2018.

The defendant took, by means of intimidation during the course of the bank robberies, in excess of $37,000 from the institutions whose deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of FBI, MCSO, PBSO and JPD in this matter. She thanked the State Attorney’s Office for Saint Lucie County and State Attorney’s Office for Palm Beach County for their assistance.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock.