Passaic Man Sentenced In 2 Armed PNC Bank Robberies: Feds

PASSAIC, NJ - A Passaic County man was sentenced to over two decades in prison for serving as a gunman in two armed bank robberies, federal authorities said Friday.

Jose Soto, 53, of Passaic, was handed down a 23 year sentence last week, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Soto was previously convicted of two bank robberies, conspiracy to commit bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during the pair of robberies following a six-day trial.

On Feb. 6, 2020, Soto and an accomplice donned face coverings and entered a PNC Bank branch in Passaic, with Soto pointing a silver and black handgun at customers and employees and ordering everyone down on the floor, according to case documents and trial evidence.

Soto’s conspirator then jumped over the teller counter, demanding that the teller turn over all cash in the drawers. Soto and his conspirator left with about $35,000 from the PNC Bank, federal officials said.

Soto and the same conspirator entered the Valley Bank in Little Falls on Feb. 27, 2020, with Soto again pointing a silver and black gun at customers and employees and his conspirator rifling through various drawers, federal officials said.

Soto and his conspirator also forced the bank employees to open the vault at gunpoint and began retrieving cash from the bank vault. The pair then forced all employees and customers into the bank vault and fled through the rear door of the Valley Bank. Soto and his conspirator took approximately $45,000 from the bank, federal officials said.

In addition to the 23-year prison term, Soto was sentenced to three years of supervised release.