Teller Vacationed In Aruba With Bank Robber She Helped

UPDATE: Blanco's current lawyer, Stephen Lewis, argued that her conviction was based on Giovanny Marte's testimony, with which he took issue for credibility and accuracy, The Journal News reported. Citing mistakes made by her previous lawyer, he moved for a new trial. His motion was denied at sentencing. He told TJN he was going to appeal.

A former teller who took a trip to Aruba with one of the four men who robbed her bank in a violent hold-up was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution.

In White Plains, Judge Cathy Seibel sentenced Virginia Blanco to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery, in addition to one day of imprisonment for the bank robbery conspiracy and the bank robbery.

The latter sentence will be served consecutively to the 10-year prison term. In addition, Judge Seibel imposed restitution in the amount of $303,500.

Blanco was working as a teller at the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 500 Odell Ave. in Yonkers in 2013. She conspired with Giovanny Marte to rob the bank, and provided critical information to Marte that allowed him and his co-conspirators to carry out the robbery successfully.

“Virginia Blanco brazenly used her inside knowledge to further an armed robbery at a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Yonkers," said Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "By providing the robbers with critical information about the Bank’s security, personnel, and procedures, she set the stage for the violent episode. Blanco’s lengthy sentence makes clear that enablers and facilitators of bank robberies – even if they’re not the ones storming the bank, pulling the trigger, or directly terrorizing the innocent bystanders – will face justice for their conduct.”

At 3:17 p.m., Oct. 29, 2013, Marte and three other men arrived at the Wells Fargo Branch. One 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 roughly $303,500 in cash, and fled with the other robbers.

Afterward, Blanco and Marte took a trip together to Aruba using proceeds from the robbery.

Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives of the FBI, United States Probation, the City of Yonkers Police Department, the City of Peekskill Police Department, the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, the New York City Police Department, the Westchester County Police, the Greenburgh Police Department, New York State Police and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.