Armed Darien Bank Robber Receives Federal Prison Sentence: US Attorney

DARIEN, CT — A 62-year-old man who pleaded guilty in connection with an armed bank robbery in Darien from 2014 was sentenced Thursday by a U.S. District Judge in New Haven to 10 years in prison, according to a news release from Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Bomani Africa, who was last residing in Philadelphia, Pa., will be on three years of supervised release at the conclusion of his prison sentence.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Africa met his associate, George Bratsenis, when they were both incarcerated on robbery convictions in a New Jersey state prison, Avery said.

On April 20, 2014, Africa and Bratsenis robbed a People’s United Bank branch located on Old Kings Highway Road in Darien, Avery noted.

Bratsenis, who drove his pickup truck, dropped Africa off in downtown Darien. Africa then entered the bank, pulled out a gun, jumped over the teller counter and ordered a teller to open drawers, saying, “I will shoot you if you don’t give me all your money!" Avery said in a news release.

Africa took a substantial amount of cash and then left the bank. Bratsenis picked up Africa a short distance away and they left the scene, Avery said.

In September 2014, Africa, Bratsenis, and Africa’s son, Randi Feliciano, planned to rob another bank, Avery noted.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 25, 2014, Feliciano drove Africa from Philadelphia to a parking lot in Trumbull, CT, where, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Africa stole a car from a victim at gunpoint, Avery said.

The next morning, Africa and Bratsenis, both wearing masks and brandishing firearms, robbed a People’s United Bank branch located on Madison Avenue in Trumbull, taking nearly $30,000 in cash, Avery said.

After they drove from the scene in the car Africa had carjacked, they parked in a nearby parking lot and set the car on fire, Avery said.

Feliciano drove Africa from the scene and followed Bratsenis to a Norwalk restaurant where the three men divided the proceeds of the robbery, Avery said. Feliciano then drove Africa back to Philadelphia.

On Dec. 13, 2014, Africa and Feliciano, both wearing masks and brandishing firearms, robbed a First Niagara Bank branch located on Hawley Lane in Stratford, CT, taking more than $15,000 in cash, Avery said.

Africa, who has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple convictions for robbery offenses, has been detained since his arrest on May 28, 2015, Avery said.

On Dec. 16, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery.

Bratsenis and Feliciano pleaded guilty to the same charge. On April 5, 2022, Bratsenis was sentenced to eight years in prison and, on Feb. 21, 2017, Feliciano was sentenced to 51 months.

In addition to this prosecution, Africa and Bratsenis have each pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire charges in New Jersey for committing a contract killing of someone in New Jersey on May 22, 2014, Avery said. They await sentencing in that case.

The armed robberies were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Darien, Trumbull, Stratford, and Bridgeport Police Departments.