John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT ABEL, 56, of Atlantic Beach, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a Connecticut bank robbery, two armed robberies in Florida and a carjacking in South Carolina.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Feb. 11, 2017, Abel, brandishing a long silver blade, robbed a McDonald’s restaurant in East Palm Coast, Florida. On Feb. 12, brandishing a long knife, he robbed a CVS in St. Augustine, Florida. Abel stole a total of approximately $733 during these two robberies.
On Feb. 15, Abel stole a car from a woman in South Carolina, ordering the victim not to move or he would shoot her.
On Feb. 17, Abel stole $1,517 during a robbery of a Webster Bank branch in Stratford. He then attempted to rob a Walgreens Pharmacy in Stratford, but left the store without any money. Milford Police arrested Abel later that day.
Abel has been detained since his arrest. On November 6, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stratford Police Department and Milford Police Department, with the assistance of the Summerville (S.C.) Police Department, St. Augustine Police Department and the Flagler County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
