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Passaic County Pair Bagged $80,000 In Back-To-Back Bank Robberies
Two men nabbed by the FBI following bank robberies in Passaic and Little Falls just weeks apart were indicted by a federal grand jury in Newark.
Nicholas Ortiz, 37, of Paterson, and Jose Soto, 49, of Passaic, have remained in federal custody since their March arrests for robbing a PNC branch in Passaic of $35,000 and a Valley National Bank in Little Falls of $45,000.
One of them pointed a silver and black gun at customers and employees at the Main Street Valley National branch in Little Falls on Feb. 27, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.
The other then "jumped over a teller counter …
Gotcha! Elmwood Park Bank Robber, 66, Wrote Holdup Note On Car Owner's Manual, Police Say
An Elmwood Park bank robber wrote a holdup note on a page ripped from the owner’s manual of a stolen car, said authorities who captured him.
James A. Lassiter, 66, of Paterson entered the Chase Bank branch in the Elmwood Park Center on Broadway the morning of Sept. 3 dressed in an all-white hooded sweatsuit, white sneakers, gloves, a facemask and sunglasses, Police Chief Michael Foligno said.
He passed a note and “repeatedly threatened to shoot the teller if she didn't comply," the chief said.
She gave him all the cash in the drawer, "which wasn't much," he said.
Two weeks ago, the FBI n…
