Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Richard Paul Cote (53, Melbourne) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for committing two bank robberies in Collier County. The court also ordered Cote to pay $5,134 in restitution to the victim banks.
Cote had pleaded guilty on February 10, 2020.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2019, Cote robbed the Bank of America located at 12965 Collier Boulevard in Naples. One week later, Cote robbed the Lake Michigan Credit Union located at 8635 Collier Boulevard in Naples. During each robbery, Cote gave notes to tellers demanding money. The victim tellers complied with the notes and provided money to Cote. Cote left behind a small folio on the teller counter of the Lake Michigan Credit Union, which ultimately led to his identification and arrest by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
