28-Year Sentence For Man Who Committed Southington Robberies: Feds

SOUTHINGTON/NEW BRITAIN, CT — A New Britain man will spend 28 years behind bars for a series of violent crimes committed in 2021, including two in Southington.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, said Wednesday that Christian Luis Velez-Ruiz, 25, formerly of New Britain, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 336 months of imprisonment or 28 years.

That is followed by three years of supervised release, for robbery, carjacking and firearm offenses stemming from a violent crime spree in 2021.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 2021 into December 2021, Velez committed 28 armed robberies of convenience stores, six armed carjackings and three additional car thefts throughout Connecticut.

Federal officials said Velez began his crime spree shortly after he walked away from a halfway house where he was completing a state sentence for larceny and burglary offenses.

Officials said he continued committing his crimes after the FBI’s announcement in early November 2021 of a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

On Dec. 17, 2021, law enforcement located Velez in a car in a parking lot in New Britain and Velez attempted to escape by ramming police vehicles and he ultimately fled on foot, Avery said.

A K9 pursuit ensued and Velez was captured after he attempted to steal another vehicle. He has been detained since his arrest.

On Dec. 14, 2022, Velez pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, authorities said.

The carjacking occurred Sept. 2, 2021, when Velez stole at gunpoint a 2020 white Jeep Grand Cherokee from the driveway of a victim in Southington.

Then, officials said, one of the robberies occurred on Sept. 26, 2021, when Velez robbed at gunpoint a store located at a Sunoco gas station in Bristol.

Velez, according to Avery, pistol-whipped the store employee and stole U.S. currency and cigarettes from the store.

The other robbery occurred on Oct. 7, 2021, when Velez robbed at gunpoint a store located at a Citgo gas station in Southington, Avery said.

Velez brandished a pistol at the store employee and stole cash and cigarettes from the store, federal officials said.

In pleading guilty, Velez took responsibility for all the offenses he committed during his crime spree, according to Avery.

This matter was investigated by the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Greater Hartford Regional Auto Theft Task Force, and the New Britain, Waterbury, Berlin, Bristol, Cromwell, East Hartford, Enfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Manchester, Meriden, Middletown, Newington, Norwich, Plainville, Southington, Windsor, Wolcott and Woodbridge police departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.