Overview
- Newcastle Crown Court sentenced Armet Asprilla Cortes and Willmer Guzman to three years and eight months after guilty pleas to conspiracy to steal covering August 2024 to April 2025.
- Police identified at least 14 offences across the North East and in Preston, Merseyside, Cheshire, Scarborough and London, with losses exceeding £60,000.
- The group loitered in banks and building societies, tailed older customers, and used staged incidents or home entries to steal freshly withdrawn cash.
- Cortes and Guzman were arrested in July as they attempted to leave the UK, the stolen money was not recovered, and victims reported serious financial and psychological impact.
- Deportation is expected to be considered by the Home Office after the sentences, and officers urged the public to report suspicious activity around banks.