FLORIDA – A Florida man has been sentenced for robbing a Manatee County bank.
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U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Robert Frascella, 55, of Bradenton, to three years and 10 months in federal prison for bank robbery. The court also ordered Frascella to forfeit $5,000, which is traceable to the proceeds of the offense.
Frascella pleaded guilty on December 12, 2022.
According to court documents, on August 8, 2022, Frascella entered a bank in Parrish and asked to complete a $10,000 wire transfer. When advised that he didn’t have sufficient funds for the transfer, Frascella left the bank.
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A short time later, Frascella reportedly returned to the bank, pulled a box from his backpack, and placed it on the lobby floor. Frascella allegedly indicated it was an explosive device and demanded money.
He left the bank with $5,000, the only money the teller had available, prosecutors said.
As a result of the bomb threat, the bank employees and customers were evacuated from the building. Law enforcement and a bomb squad determined that the box did not contain an explosive device.
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Frascella was identified and arrested later that day.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Sarasota division and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman prosecuted it.
