HARTFORD — Three men pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to charges related to the armed robberies of the Allingtown Post Office in West Haven and the Wells Fargo Bank in Hamden on April 21.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the morning of April 21, Malcolm Haynes, AKA “Black,” 26, of New Haven, Derrick White, AKA “Fly,” 52, of Hamden, Howard Bookert, 19, of Hamden, and another man drove in White’s car to the an area near the Allingtown Post Office located at 75 Farwell Avenue in West Haven.
They entered the post office and Haynes was armed with a .22 caliber rifle. Haynes pointed the rifle at people in the lobby and the clerk behind the counter and directed them to stay away from the door. White hopped over the counter, waved the postal clerk away from her station, removed the cash drawer from the counter and handed it to Bookert. The robbers then fled with the drawer, which contained almost $500.
That afternoon, the four men drove to a branch of Wells Fargo Bank located at 1647 Whitney Avenue in Hamden. Haynes, again armed with the rifle, White and the other male entered the bank.
Haynes pointed the rifle in the direction of various employees as White went behind the counter and removed around $10,000 from the teller drawers. During the robbery, the other man waved around a small black semi-automatic pistol.
White and Bookert were arrested in New Haven that day. Haynes was arrested on May 23.
On Thursday, Malcolm Haynes, AKA “Black,” 26, of New Haven, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery of a postal employee and one count of armed bank robbery.
On Monday, Howard Bookert, 19, of Hamden, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery of a postal employee.
On Wednesday, January 25, Derrick White, AKA “Fly,” 52, of Hamden, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery.
Haynesm, White and Bookert are scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court on May 3, April 19 and May 4, respectively. Each of the charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years.
The fourth man was charged in state court and his case is pending.
