A Hialeah man was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison stemming from a 2019 bank robbery in which he managed to get away with over $30,000.
According to a press release by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, the incident took place on December 26, 2019, when now 45-year-old Ariel Valero entered a Wells Fargo bank in Miramar. He was dressed in a black jumpsuit and wore a ski mask.
Once inside the bank, Valero brandished a black firearm, leaped onto the teller counter, and threatened the bank employees.
Valero was able to escape with $30,959.99 in cash.
The robbery was captured by surveillance cameras, which showed Valero fleeing the scene on a bicycle. He was seen pedaling for a short distance before abandoning the bicycle in a nearby plaza. Forensic analysis of the bicycle seat uncovered traces of Valero’s DNA.
Valero’s sentence was handed down after a jury found him guilty on the charges of bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the lengthy prison term, he will be subject to five years of supervised release upon completion of his sentence.
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