NEW YORK — Virginia Blanco was found guilty on all counts of a three-count Indictment yesterday that charged her with participating in the robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Yonkers, New York, in October 2013, and with aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. The verdict came following a four-day jury trial.
In or about October 2013, Blanco was working as a teller at a Wells Fargo Bank branch located at 500 Odell Avenue in Yonkers, New York (the “Wells Fargo Branch”). She conspired with co-defendant Giovanny Marte to rob the Wells Fargo Branch and provided critical information to Marte that allowed him and his co-conspirators to carry out the robbery successfully. On October 29, 2013, at approximately 3:17 p.m., Marte and three co-conspirators arrived at the Wells Fargo Branch. One co-conspirator remained in the car while Marte and two co-conspirators entered the bank. Marte and another robber each brandished a firearm and the third robber brandished a wood saw. During the robbery, Marte fired two shots but did not hit anyone. He accessed the vault, filled a laundry bag with approximately $303,500 in cash, and fled the Wells Fargo Branch with the other robbers. Following the robbery, Blanco and Marte took a trip together to Aruba using proceeds from the robbery.
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Blanco, 29, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on Count One (conspiracy), a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on Count Two (bank robbery); and a maximum sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, on Count Three (firearm offense).
