A Bristol man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for a series of violent robberies committed across Connecticut in late 2022. Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Marc H. Silverman, announced that Lonny Cross, aged 46, received a sentence of 188 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport.
Between September 5 and October 13, 2022, Cross was involved in 37 robberies and attempted robberies targeting gas station convenience stores, mini-markets, and liquor stores across various towns in Connecticut and Port Chester, New York. According to court documents and statements made during the trial, Cross stole more than $58,000 in cash during this period.
Cross's accomplice, Rebecca Barbera, assisted him by scouting the locations before he entered with a knife or a facsimile firearm to threaten employees and steal cash and other items. In one incident on September 24, 2022, Cross threatened a store owner's 12-year-old son with a knife while robbing the register.
Investigators conducted searches on October 14, 2022, at Cross's residence and his vehicle—a black Chevrolet Impala—where they found clothing linked to the robberies along with heroin, crack cocaine, and narcotics paraphernalia. Following his arrest on state charges that day, Cross instructed Barbera from jail to dispose of a weapon used in the crimes.
Cross's criminal record includes multiple convictions for robbery and other offenses. He previously served state sentences for two robbery sprees before his latest arrest. On May 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Hobbs Act Robbery.
Barbera has also pleaded guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
The investigation involved several law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Connecticut State Police, Orange Police Department, Port Chester Police Department in New York, as well as police departments from municipalities where the robberies took place. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff prosecuted the case.
