Middletown man sentenced to 5 years in prison for People’s Bank robberies

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – A Middletown man connected to three bank robberies was sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday, according to the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Gino Rizzo, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

In court, it was shown Rizzo used notes to demand cash from three People’s United Bank branches in 2022.

The branches were located in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Glastonbury on July 16, in Newington on July 18, and in West Hartford July 20.

Investigators said Rizzo’s girlfriend Jalania Pantano helped in the West Hartford robbery.

Rizzo was arrested on July 21, 2022. During pre-trial release last April, officials said he disconnected his GPS electronic monitoring bracelet and left his court-mandated rehabilitation center.

Since his re-arrest that May, he has been in custody. He pleaded guilty to bank robbery on January 25, 2023.

Rizzo’s girlfriend was arrested in August of 2022, and after pleading guilty to bank robbery, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.