A New Haven Superior Court jury has found an East Haven man guilty of robbing a Branford bank five years ago by passing handwritten notes to two tellers.
Jason Gardner, 38, of East Haven, was convicted Monday, Oct. 19, of second-degree robbery and second-degree larceny, New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney John P. Doyle Jr. said in a news release issued Tuesday. Judge Ann F. Lawlor presided over the trial.
What prosecutors proved at trial
According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, the evidence at trial showed that:
- At about 10:40 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2021, Gardner walked into the Liberty Bank branch that was then at 445 East Main St. in Branford.
- He handed a handwritten note demanding money to two different tellers, intimidating them and causing them to “reasonably fear for their safety and the physical safety of others,” in the words of the release.
- He left with more than $10,000 in cash.
Prosecutors said surveillance video, photographs, license plate readers, historical cell-site analysis and Gardner’s own actions after the robbery identified him as the perpetrator.
Who worked the case
Branford police and the Connecticut State Police investigated. Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline M. Fitzgerald and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Elisabeth Luczek prosecuted the case, with help from Investigator Kerry Dalling and Inspector Lawrence Smith.
Doyle’s office also thanked the Liberty Bank employees, the Hartford and New Britain police departments, and Special Agent David Carney of the FBI’s New Haven office for their help during the investigation and prosecution.
What happens next
Gardner is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14, 2026, in New Haven Superior Court. The release did not say whether Gardner is being held or what sentence prosecutors will seek.
Source: Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, Oct. 20, 2026.
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