Christmas Eve Bank Robber Facing up to 20 Years in Federal Prison

ORLANDO,—United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that Benjamin Edward Ahr (37, Port Orange) pleaded guilty today to the robbery of a Volusia County branch of TD Bank. Ahr faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 18, 2012 before Senior United States District Court Judge G. Kendall Sharp.

According to the plea agreement, on December 24, 2011, Ahr entered the branch of TD Bank located at 1101 Dunlawton Avenue in Port Orange. Ahr demanded money and said, “I have a gun, and I will use it.” Ahr obtained a total of $1,635 before fleeing the building and driving away.

On December 27, 2011, during a separate robbery of a Space Coast Credit Union in Ormond Beach, a witness observed a vehicle with the Florida vanity plate “AHR TURN” speeding away from the scene. The vehicle was registered to Ahr. Detectives from the Port Orange and Ormond Beach Police Departments determined that Ahr had a strong physical resemblance to the images of the individual captured on bank security cameras during the robbery of TD Bank on December 24, 2011. When victims from the TD Bank robbery were shown a photo line-up containing Ahr’s picture, they positively identified him as the bank robber.

On December 28, 2011, authorities arrested Ahr for the bank robbery. He admitted to robbing the TD Bank on December 24, 2011 and positively identified himself as the person in the bank surveillance photographs.

This case was investigated by the City of Port Orange Police Department, the Ormond Beach Police Department, and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.