A getaway driver pleaded guilty this week to a federal offense after three other associates failed to carry out a Connecticut robbery while he waited in the car, officials said.
Andy Marte, also known as “AD,” appeared before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven on Thursday and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, an charge that carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
On April 28, 2023, the 30-year-old Bridgeport man and two associates drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they allegedly planned to rob an apartment where they believed they would find drugs and money, court records show.
Marte instructed his two associates, one of which had a crowbar, to carry out the robbery while he waited in the car as the getaway driver. He then contacted a third person, who arrived to assist in the robbery, according to court records.
After failing to get into the apartment, the three associates returned to the car with Marte, where they were encountered by law enforcement, court records show.
Officers searched the vehicle and the four suspects and reportedly seized two handguns, which Marte allegedly brought to the robbery, and the crowbar, according to court records.
Marte has been detained since April 28, 2023. His sentencing is scheduled for June 20, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.