Man sentenced for safe heist

Published 10:40 pm Thursday, November 20, 2014

A Portsmouth man was sentenced this week to two and a half years in jail after admitting to his part in a burglary that lifted more than $120,000 from a local credit union.

Hardy

Hardy

Devin Rashaun Hardy, 21 at the time of his arrest this spring, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Wednesday on one count of larceny in excess of $1,000 from a credit union. Two other charges were not prosecuted as part of a plea agreement.

According to a statement of facts filed with the court, Hardy and his co-defendant, Tyreese D’Andrae Darden, 22 at the time, cut the power to the Metropolitan Church Federal Credit Union, 129 County St., about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2014.

Email newsletter signup

They entered the building, removed a safe and transported it to Hardy’s residence. It contained $120,406.47.

Two individuals who lived at the residence inquired about the sudden influx of money and were told by Hardy that “they broke into a window,” according to the statement.

Both were arrested by Suffolk police.

Hardy will receive credit for the time he has been in state and federal company since March 27. Judge Rebecca Beach Smith recommended that Hardy take part in college courses and develop a skill, perhaps welding, while he is incarcerated.

Darden

Darden

He will have to put those skills to good use once he is released, as he has almost $125,000 in restitution and fines to pay.

The maximum penalty was 10 years and a $250,000 fine, as well as restitution.

The money from the burglary was gone by the time police caught up with the pair, according to a pre-sentencing report for Darden. The bank was insured by the National Credit Union Association.

Darden will be sentenced on Dec. 5.