Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison

A Jupiter resident was sentenced to twenty years in prison for a string of bank 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, Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Daniel J. Kerr, Chief, Jupiter Police Department, made the announcement.

Ronnie Montsdeoca, 59, of Jupiter, Florida, previously pled guilty to a superseding indictment which charged three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery (Case No. 18-Cr-80194).  U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Montsdeoca to a total of 240 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.  He also ordered the defendant to pay more than $37,000 in restitution.

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, Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Jupiter Police Department 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McMichael and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hudock.