Man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for string of CT bank robberies while awaiting sentence in New Jersey murder-for-hire case

Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant
·2 min read
2

A man from Philadelphia who is awaiting sentencing for a murder-for-hire plot in New Jersey was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a string of bank robberies in Connecticut that were plotted in prison.

Bomani Africa, 62, appeared before Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven on Thursday and was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

According to court records, Africa robbed multiple Connecticut banks with his associate George Bratsenis, who he met while the pair were incarcerated in a New Jersey state prison for prior bank robbery convictions, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

The two have pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire charges in the District of New Jersey in connection to a “contract killing” on May 22, 2014. They have yet to be sentenced in that case, the district attorney’s office said.

A month before the murder-for-hire, on April 20, 2014, Bratsenis dropped Africa off in Darien, where Africa walked into a People’s United Bank branch on Old Kings Highway Road. He pulled out a gun, jumped over the counter and ordered the teller to open drawers shouting, “I will shoot you if you don’t give me all your money!” according to court records and the U.S Attorney’s office.

Africa fled the bank with cash and was picked up by Bratsenis, officials said.

A few months later, the pair allegedly planned to rob another bank with Africa’s son, Randi Feliciano.

On Sept. 25, 2012, Feliciano drove Africa from Philadelphia to a parking lot in Trumbull, where African stole a car at gunpoint, officials said. The next morning, Africa and Bratsenis — armed with guns and wearing masks — robbed a People’s bank branch on Madison Avenue in Trumbull of nearly $30,000, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

The pair fled the bank in a car Africa carjacked, which they drove to a parking lot and set on fire, officials said. Feliciano, Africa and Bratsenis split the money, officials said.

A few months later, on Dec. 13, 2014, Africa struck again. He and Feliciano, both armed, robbed a First Niagara Bank branch on Hawley Lane in Stratford, taking more than $15,000 in cash, officials said.

Africa has been detained since his arrest on May 28, 2015. He pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery in December 2015 and has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple convictions for robbery offenses, officials said.

Bratsenis and Feliciano also pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery, officials said.

Feliciano was sentenced in 2017 to just over four years in prison, while Bratsenis was sentenced last April to eight years in prison, the U.S Attorney’s office said.