{"id":19128,"date":"2016-01-08T19:24:18","date_gmt":"2016-01-09T03:24:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=19128"},"modified":"2016-01-08T19:31:49","modified_gmt":"2016-01-09T03:31:49","slug":"three-men-including-a-prison-guard-charged-with-robbery-of-armored-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=19128","title":{"rendered":"Three Men, Including a Prison Guard, Charged with Robbing Armored Cars (News Videos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Three men \u2014 Michael Santiago<\/strong>, a prison guard at Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, New York, Kenneth Smith<\/strong> and \u00a0Bruce Collazo<\/strong>, a\/k\/a \u201cTonz\u201d \u2014 \u00a0were arrested Thursday for alleged conspiracy to rob a series of armored cars in the Bronx, New York, according to officials.<\/p>\n

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Diego Rodriquez<\/strong> said:\u00a0 \u201cAs alleged, over several months, the defendants conspired to brazenly hold up armored car operators at gunpoint for cash.\u00a0 This vicious activity put everyday citizens in the forefront of violence, and the FBI-NYPD Violent Crimes Task Force stands with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring all those involved to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the complaint, these are the allegations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Between August and December 2015, Santiago, Smith and Collazo, along with other members of the robbery crew who remain at large, participated in gunpoint robberies of armored car operators.<\/p>\n

The incidents occur on\u00a0Aug. 24, 2015, Dec. 4, 2015, and Dec. 15, 2015, members of the crew robbed armored car operators of thousands of dollars in cash at gunpoint.<\/p>\n

During the December 15, 2015, robbery, a member of the crew exchanged gunfire with the operator of the armored vehicle before escaping on foot.<\/p>\n

NYPD Commissioner William J. Bratton<\/strong> said:\u00a0 \u201cThis is the type of collaboration we rely on to keep our city safe. This operation, taken down earlier this morning in raids across the Bronx, is the most significant case since the re-formation of the oldest task force in law enforcement history. Together, NYPD detectives and FBI agents arrested these defendants who, among other things, engaged in a massive midday shoot-out on a busy Bronx street, as alleged. Tonight, our city \u2013 because of the hard work of agents, detectives, and prosecutors \u2013 is a little bit safer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santiago, 29, Smith, 34, and Collazo, 20, all of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison; and one count of using or carrying firearms during and in relation to, or possessing firearms in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which firearms were discharged. This crime carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.<\/p>\n

In a criminal complaint, FBI agent Elisabeth Wheeler said she found\u00a0pictures on an Instagram account connected with Collazo showing him smiling and covered in crisp-looking bills. \u00a0Another photo shows a stack of cash between two red, Nike sneakers with the caption \u201cFirst day of work $,\u201d according to PIX 11 News.<\/p>\n

\"Armored<\/a>
Bruce Collazo showing him smiling and covered in crisp-looking bills.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other images\u00a0show Collazo posing with firearms, one with the caption \u201cAlways keep it on me.\u201d<\/p>\n