Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergey Demidenko pleaded guilty to six counts of bank robbery before United States District Court Judge Pamela K. Chen. When he is sentenced, Demidenko faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Sergey Demidenko committed a string of robberies across Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey and then brazenly gambled away the stolen cash in Atlantic City," stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Thanks to the efforts of the FBI and our state and local partners, Demidenko had no luck in getting away with these crimes, for which he has now pleaded guilty and will be held responsible."
“After their month-long robbery spree, the defendants will now be brought to justice. Demidenko and his co-defendant strategically planned these robberies, just to gamble with their illegal proceeds in the end," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “As shown by their guilty plea, they will now face the consequences of their self-driven actions."
According to court filings and statements made during the guilty plea proceedings, between Jan. 16, 2018 and Jan. 26, 2018, Demidenko and his co-defendant James Boccanfusco robbed four banks, and attempted to rob two others in Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey. In each instance, Demidenko presented a note demanding money from the tellers. Demidenko’s co-defendant, Boccanfusco, waited outside the banks in a getaway car. After the robberies, the two drove to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where they used the robbery proceeds to gamble at various casinos.
The indictment charged Demidenko and Boccanfusco with the following robberies:
* Capital One Savings Bank branch in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 16, 2018;
* Chase Bank branch in Manahawkin, New Jersey, on Jan. 18, 2018;
* Wells Fargo Bank branch in Galloway Township, New Jersey, on Jan. 24, 2018;
* Roslyn Savings Bank branch in Massapequa, New York, on Jan. 25, 2018;
* Chase Bank branch in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 25, 2018 (attempted), and
* Wells Fargo Bank branch in Manahawkin, New Jersey, on Jan. 26, 2018 (attempted).
Demidenko’s co-defendant, Boccanfusco, previously pleaded guilty before Judge Chen on May 24, 2018 to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney David Lizmi is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
SERGEY DEMIDENKO
Age: 39
JAMES BOCCANFUSCO
Age: 41
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-104
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
