Two brothers have been re-sentenced to 360 months in prison for their roles in committing two violent armed bank robberies and conspiring to rob an armored car in 1997 and 1998, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Charles Rodriguez, 58, and Joseph Rodriguez, 57, both of New Jersey, were originally convicted in 1999 following a six-week trial.
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They were sentenced to life in prison on charges that included conspiracy to commit bank robberies, armed bank robbery, using firearms during the crimes, carjacking, and being felons in possession of firearms.
The re-sentencing followed a successful challenge which resulted in the dismissal of one count related to using firearms during the attempted armored car robbery due to changes in the law. U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi re-sentenced the brothers on the remaining charges.
CoreStates Bank Robbery – July 19, 1997
Charles and Joseph Rodriguez, along with two accomplices, carried out a violent armed robbery at a CoreStates Bank branch in Woodlynne, N.J. The masked men, wearing body armor and heavily armed with rifles and a handgun, terrorized customers and employees. Victims were hit with rifle stocks, firearms were pointed at their faces, and they were threatened with death.
The robbers fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, later switching to another stolen car after setting the first one on fire. They stole $64,039 from the bank.
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Commerce Bank Robbery – May 23, 1998
In Moorestown, N.J., Charles and Joseph Rodriguez—wearing masks and tactical gear—robbed a Commerce Bank branch. Arriving just before opening, they shot out the glass entrance doors, fired shots into the ceiling and at a plexiglass vault door, and threatened victims at gunpoint.
When their getaway vehicle stalled, they carjacked a bank employee’s vehicle at gunpoint before switching to a third vehicle. The robbers stole $15,373.
Attempted Armored Car Robbery – September 1, 1998
The brothers, along with co-defendant Jose Soto, attempted to rob an armored car at the Walt Whitman rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. Dressed in tactical gear and armed with machine guns and bulletproof vests, the trio carried approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition to the scene. Law enforcement intervened before the robbery could occur, preventing further violence.
Charles and Joseph Rodriguez were originally sentenced to life imprisonment on March 30, 2000. After Count Eight was dismissed, Judge Cecchi re-sentenced them to 30 years (360 months).
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Jose Soto, a co-defendant, was sentenced to time served—approximately 289 months—on November 18, 2022, for charges connected to the armored car conspiracy. Soto was acquitted of the two bank robberies.
The government’s case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clara Kim of the Special Prosecutions Division and Norman Gross of the Camden Office.
“This sentencing ensures that justice is served for the terror and harm inflicted on victims of these violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Sellinger.
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