Serial NYC robber confesses to threatening to kill elderly bank customer
A serial bank robber out on parole for less than a month grabbed an elderly Queens bank customer’s neck and threatened to kill her if he didn’t get cash, federal prosecutors allege.
Gerald Derosse, 54, admitted, “I’m guilty,” in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday and said he committed the April 6 robbery “in desperation” because he couldn’t get a job after his release.
It was part of an impassioned plea to be released on bond.
But Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo said she couldn’t see past how quickly he was willing to return to his old ways.
“I don’t know what’s going to stop him from doing this again to another elderly person,” she said.
Derosse, who’s served five state prison terms and has a criminal record dating back to his teenage years, was released on parole on March 9 and living with his sister when he fell back into his old ways, federal prosecutors allege.
He walked into the Ridgewood Savings Bank on Myrtle Ave. and 65th St. in Glendale just after 11:30 a.m., and approached the 81-year-old victim, who was doing business at a teller’s window.
He put his arm around her and placed her in a chokehold, then announced to the teller he would “blow her f---ing brains out” if he didn’t get cash, according to authorities. The threat netted him $205 in cash and a day later, the NYPD released his photo and video of the heist to the media.
The woman, who suffered minor injuries, was checked out at the scene by EMS workers but refused further medical attention.
Derosse’s parole officer recognized him from a surveillance photo, and when he showed up at his next parole meeting on Tuesday, he was arrested.
Derosse was convicted of multiple bank robberies in 2011 — when he was still on parole in an earlier robbery case — and was sentenced to 13 year behind bars.
“This is now the second time the defendant has been on parole and committed a robbery,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Schuman said.
His lawyer, Nora Hirozawa of the Federal Defenders, called the case “quite sad and a notable failing of our criminal justice system.”
He received training in flooring and food preparation but hasn’t been able to find a gig and wasn’t even given a two-way MetroCard to make trips to interviews, she added.
“In a moment of desperation, he made a terrible mistake,” Hirozawa said. “Mr. Derosse would like the court to know he would never hurt anyone and he would never blow any elderly person’s brains out.”
Hirozawa asked Kuo to set his bond at $100,000, secured by his sister, with location monitoring and home detention.
Kuo said home detention and monitoring wouldn’t stop Derosse if he committed another crime, since authorities wouldn’t be able to get to him in time to prevent it.
“You teach me all these trades but when you send me here, you just put me out,” Derosse said.
He then admitted to the crime, saying, “When I robbed the bank, I was in desperation,” and when his lawyer tried to dissuade him, Derosse said, “I know, but I’m guilty.”
Kuo still ordered him held without bail.
“Mr. Derosse, I want you to succeed, I do ... I just can’t feel confident given the circumstances,” she said, adding: “There are no conditions of release that will ensure the safety of the community.”
