U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza sentenced Michael Jerome Virgil, Jr., of Orlando, to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Virgil to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offenses.
In addition to his prison term, Virgil was ordered to pay $686 in restitution to the armored truck employee who had to replace his firearm after authorities seized it as evidence in the pending investigation.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2022, Virgil robbed an armored truck employee who was collecting money at a Bank of America branch in Seminole County. While one of the guards was loading the money into the back of the armored truck, Virgil brandished a loaded firearm and entered the truck. Virgil then stole two bags of currency totaling $312,167 and ran back to his vehicle. When the second guard attempted to stop Virgil at gunpoint, Virgil drove towards him causing the guard to discharge his weapon, which struck Virgil’s vehicle.
Multiple law enforcement agencies joined a high-speed pursuit of Virgil, 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 deployed to track Virgil’s car.
The chase ended in a parking garage in Orlando when officers cornered Virgil’s vehicle. Virgil was taken into custody and officers recovered the firearm and the stolen currency from the bank.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. Virgil had pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
