David Ortiz, 49, pleaded guilty Monday in Brooklyn Federal Court to an armed robbery that netted over $500,000 from a Brinks armored truck in Queens earlier this year. The robbery took place on June 2, 2025, outside a Bank of America branch located at Linden Boulevard and 205th Street in the St. Albans neighborhood.

Ortiz admitted to conspiring with an accomplice to carry out the robbery, which involved intercepting the armored truck as it delivered cash to the bank. According to court documents, Ortiz and his partner arrived at the scene in a dark Chevrolet SUV without front or rear license plates shortly before 8:10 a.m. They waited for the Brinks vehicle, which arrived around 8:43 a.m. Two Brinks employees exited the truck carrying a money bag on a hand truck when the robbers emerged from the SUV with firearms drawn.

“Get down, get down, get down. We are not here to kill anyone. We just want the money,” Ortiz reportedly told one of the Brinks guards as he took the guard’s service weapon. His accomplice then grabbed the money bag and loaded it into the Chevrolet, after which both fled the scene. The pair later parked near Hilburn Avenue and Dunkirk Street, where they attached a Texas license plate to the vehicle before abandoning it temporarily. Ortiz returned to retrieve the car later that afternoon.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella described the incident as a “calculated crime” that, despite its cinematic appearance, “was terrifyingly real” and left the victims fearing for their lives.

Ortiz, who faces charges including conspiracy to commit bank robbery, bank robbery, and using a firearm in relation to a violent crime, could receive a sentence ranging from 12 to 13½ years in prison under federal guidelines. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years. During the hearing, Ortiz acknowledged the role of his unidentified accomplice but declined to name the individual.

Law enforcement has not recovered the $542,000 taken in the robbery, and the second suspect remains at large. Ortiz was apprehended in upstate New York in August. His criminal record includes multiple weapons offenses and a 1993 attempted murder conviction, for which he served 12 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for October 5.