Maryland man says he robbed bank because he needed money to shoot movie: report

A 54-year-old Maryland man, who reportedly told authorities that he robbed a Florida bank because he needed money to shoot a movie, pleaded guilty to the crime last Thursday. According to Law & Crime, the suspect, Nacoe Ray Brown, made away with more than $4,000 after approaching a teller at the Belle Isle branch of the McCoy Federal Credit Union in June last year.

Brown, who was described as a serial bank robber, faces up to 20 years in prison and three additional years because he was on supervised release when he committed the robbery. Brown’s arrest came after he spent almost 20 years in prison for committing bank robberies in Baltimore. On Thursday, Brown pleaded guilty to bank robbery and violating the terms of his supervised release.

In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said Brown was in town on June 28 last year when he committed the crime. Brown is said to have committed the crime while wearing a “baseball cap, sunglasses, a surgical style facemask, and plastic gloves.” 

The bank teller Brown approached was identified as “J.L.”, a probable cause affidavit for his arrest stated. “J.L. noticed that the robber was holding a note and a counterfeit $100 bill, which he presented to J.L., requesting it be changed for small bills,” the affidavit stated. “The $100 bill was clearly counterfeit to J.L. and stated ‘play money’ across the front of the bill. J.L. told the robber that the bill was fake, and the robber responded for J.L. to read the note.”

The affidavit stated that the note read: “Keep smiling. I have a gun. Give me all of your 100’s, 50’s, 20’s, 20’s[,] 5’s. No 1’s. Don’t push alarm!”

Brown is said to have given J.L. a plastic brown bag. The teller put the “bait money” as well as additional money and the note into the bag. The affidavit stated that Brown made away with $4,296 cash, Law & Crime reported. 

Court documents stated that another employee identified as “L.R.” then saw Brown make his way into a gas station after fleeing the bank. The employee “watched carefully because she thought the robber’s behavior was suspicious.”

L.R. later saw Brown in different clothes after coming out of the gas station. He was also not wearing the mask, hat, and sunglasses. L.R. then saw Brown enter a hotel close to the bank.

Police later arrested Brown at the hotel. They also retrieved the demand note and the money he stole. Following his arrest, Brown is said to have told authorities that he went low on cash after traveling to Florida to shoot a movie. He also said he committed the crime because “he could not resist the demons,” adding that robbing a bank was the only thing he knew when it came to making money, according to authorities.

Brown’s sentencing date is set for April 5.