Bank Robbery Hero Exposed as Former Bank Bomber
By Space Coast Daily // June 27, 2013
CONVICTED BANK BOMBER THWARTS COCOA BANK ROBBER
VIDEO BY DECLAN CLIFFORD
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Eugene Storley gained the attention of national news media after he thwarted a bank robbery attempt at the Wells Fargo branch in Cocoa, Florida.
In the above video, Storley described himself as a U.S. Marine Veteran and former law enforcement officer in Miami, Florida. But, according to the Cocoa Police Department and accounts from the Trenton Times newspaper, Storley is a former convicted bank bomber himself.
A Federal Agent refuted Storley’s claims of service as a U.S. Marine Veteran and law enforcement officer. The agent also detailed Storley’s conviction for the bombing of the National State Bank in Trenton, New Jersey in 1977. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said they have no record of Storley ever being a law enforcement officer in the state of Florida.
Below, you can read the original article which reported Storley’s intervention during the robbery attempt by suspect Edward Sotelo at the Wells Fargo Bank in Cocoa, Florida.
(This story was updated on June 29, 2013)
ORIGINAL POST FROM MONDAY, JUNE 24
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – According to a statement from Cocoa Police Public Information Officer Barbara Matthews, Cocoa Police received a call of an armed robbery suspect at approximately 1:05 p.m. on June 24.
Police quickly arrived on scene and were directed by witnesses to where the suspect may have fled. Police set up a perimeter and quickly located the suspect.
According to witnesses, the suspect, Edward Sotelo entered the bank wearing a construction type hard hat with tape on the front and back and a surgical mask. Sotelo approached the teller window, pointed the gun at the teller and demanded money.
As Sotelo demanded money, former U.S. Marine and Law Enforcement officer Eugene Storley, who was at the next window, intervened and began fighting the bank robber.
Sotelo threw his gun and ran from the bank before he received any money and no one was hurt. Sotelo was apprehended a few moments later across the street. A short time later, Cocoa’s Police Chief was helping officers search the area and he located Sotelo’s gun.
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