U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza gave Michael Jerome Virgil, Jr. from Orlando a sentence of 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for an armed bank robbery and displaying a firearm during a violent crime. Virgil was also directed to surrender the firearm and bullets used during the incidents.
In addition to the prison time, Virgil was told to pay $686 in compensation to the armored truck worker who had to replace his weapon after it was taken as evidence.
According to court records, on September 1, 2022, Virgil robbed an armored truck worker who was collecting money at a Bank of America branch in Seminole County.
Virgil brandished a loaded firearm and entered the truck while one of the guards was loading the money.
Virgil then took two bags of money totaling $312,167 and fled to his vehicle. When the second guard tried to stop Virgil with his weapon, Virgil drove toward him, leading the guard to fire his gun, hitting Virgil’s vehicle.
Several law enforcement agencies pursued Virgil in a high-speed chase, including the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the Lake Mary Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. A SCSO helicopter was also used to track Virgil’s car.
The pursuit ended in an Orlando parking garage when officers cornered Virgil’s vehicle. Virgil was arrested, and officers retrieved the firearm and the stolen money from the bank.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation in collaboration with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. Virgil pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together various levels of law enforcement and communities to decrease violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a strategy to reduce violent crime under PSN, focusing on building trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that work to prevent violence, establishing targeted enforcement priorities, and assessing the outcomes.
