Earlier today, Queens resident Gerald DeRosse received a 15-year prison sentence for a violent bank robbery he committed while on parole. The sentencing occurred at the Brooklyn federal courthouse, presided over by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II. Alongside his incarceration, DeRosse is ordered to pay $205 in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture, after pleading guilty to the charge back in May of this year.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office, announced the sentence. In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Attorney Peace noted that DeRosse's crime had dire effects on the lives of everyday people, including a senior citizen who the perpetrator placed in a chokehold during the incident. "The victims, including an elderly woman the defendant locked in a chokehold, will never forget that day," said Peace.
Detailing DeRosse's prior convictions, the prosecution emphasized his history of similar offenses. Documents presented during sentencing revealed that DeRosse, having served a 13-year sentence for a past bank robbery, was released from state prison less than a month before committing the most recent one. On April 6, 2023, he entered the Ridgewood Savings Bank branch on Myrtle Avenue, threatened violence, and forced an employee to hand over a mere $205 – barely after regaining his freedom.
FBI's Dennehy added his perspective on the situation, underscoring the recklessness of DeRosse's actions. "DeRosse's actions carelessly endangered the lives of others out of personal greed," Dennehy said, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The defendant was identified and arrested a few weeks following the robbery, thanks to the FBI and camera footage capturing the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca M. Schuman spearheaded the prosecution, ensuring the repeat offender faced the consequences of his actions.
