FBI assists Sheriff’s Office in investigation
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has charged a 25-year-old Sarasota man in connection with two robberies this summer of the USF Credit Union located at 3487 Clark Road in Sarasota.
Christopher A. Borchardt, of 3467 Clark Road, Unit 265, is being held in the Sarasota County Jail under total bond of $300,000, the Sheriff’s Office’s Corrections Division records show. A separate document notes that he will be transferred to custody of the FBI.
On July 30, 12th Judicial Circuit Court records show, Borchardt entered a plea of “Not Guilty” in each case and demanded a jury trial. The court forms were filed by Assistant Sarasota County Public Defender Elliana C. Mortellaro.
As The Sarasota News Leader has reported, the two robberies of the Credit Union occurred on June 20 and July 18, both in the early afternoon. The first incident began at 12:04 p.m.; the second, at 2:36 p.m.
In each case, video surveillance showed a male had “entered the bank and demanded money from a teller,” the Sheriff’s Office reported. Afterward — again, in both cases — the robber ran toward nearby Bronx Avenue as he left the business, the agency added. “No one was injured either time,” the Sheriff’s Office noted.
“Through further investigation,” the Sheriff’s Office said, Borchardt “was identified as a person of interest.” The FBI ultimately executed a search warrant for his residence, a Sheriff’s Office news release pointed out.
“This was a well-coordinated effort” among the Sheriff’s Office’s Patrol and TAC units, its Criminal Investigations Section and Intelligence sections, and the FBI, the news release noted.
Details of the investigation
The Probable Cause Affidavit for the first case involving Borchardt points out that the suspect approached a teller and provided the teller a note saying that he was robbing the credit union, that he had a gun, and that he was demanding $7,000.
The suspect was wearing blue jeans, a black long-sleeve shirt, “sunglasses and a black beanie with an unknown emblem on the front, “the affidavit adds.
The teller complied with the demands, the affidavit continues. However, it points out, “At no time did the teller observe a firearm on the suspect.” The affidavit further notes that the suspect last was seen heading westbound on foot, turning into the Sienna Park Apartments complex, which stands at 3433 Clark Road, its website says.
During the July 18 incident at the credit union, the affidavit continues, “the same suspect, who was dressed in military fatigues, entered [the credit union].” That day, the suspect told the teller he was there to rob the branch again, and he demanded $8,000. “The teller hit the silent alarm and notified her manager,” who was in the credit union at the time, the affidavit points out.
The affidavit further notes that the suspect’s military fatigues had a “US Army” patch on one side of the chest and an upside down “US Army” patch where the name tag normally is affixed. No unit patches could be seen on the side of the jacket, it adds.
“The teller attempted to enter a code into the computer for the cash dispensing machine to produce money,” the affidavit says. “While waiting for that to happen,” it adds, “the suspect started to raise his voice demanding it happen more quickly. After a few demands, the suspect reached behind his back as he stated, ‘You better hurry up or those people are going to wish they weren’t behind you,’ implying he was reaching for a firearm,” the affidavit continues.
“The operations manager then input the code to the computer and an undisclosed amount of money was dispensed,” the affidavit notes. The manager of the branch handed the cash to the suspect, it adds, “and he fled on foot from the bank.”
Again, the suspect last was seen on foot, heading into the Sienna Park Apartments,” which — the affidavit says —is “approximately one block to the west of the bank.” Although patrol units set up a perimeter, the affidavit continues, the suspect could not be located.
After the Sheriff’s Office issued a press release and provided social media posts about the July 18 robbery, with a photo of the suspect, the affidavit explains that the agency received a CrimeStoppers tip that reported the suspect possibly was staying in Unit 265 at the Sienna Park Apartments.
After surveillance of the apartment complex was set up in the area, the affidavit continues, a suspect — Desmond Johnson — was identified as living in Unit 265. However, the affidavit notes, that individual “did not match the physical description of the robbery suspect but a check of his social media yielded a ‘follower’ that was consistent [with] the description of the robbery suspect.” The latter individual was identified as Christopher Borchardt, the affidavit says.
Law enforcement research into Borchardt found that he recently had come to Florida “by way of Arizona and Illinois.” Borchardt was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, assigned to a company based in Cape Coral, the affidavit points out. He was listed as an E-4 specialist, it notes. “This is significant because in the robbery, the rank insignia displayed was of an E-4 Specialist,” the affidavit explains.
With the FBI having been notified of the developments, and its assistance requested, the affidavit points out, the “FBI obtained enough information to secure a search warrant” for the Sienna Park Apartments unit; it was executed on July 25.
Before that, however, the affidavit says, a detective with the Sheriff’s Office saw Desmond Johnson exit Unit 265. An FBI agent and the Sheriff’s Office representative “conducted a brief interview with Johnson,” who confirmed Borchardt was in the apartment. After the detective and the FBI special agent showed Johnson a still of a video from one of the robberies, the affidavit adds, Johnson confirmed that the suspect in the photo was Borchardt.
Following Borchardt’s arrest, during execution of the search warrant for the apartment, the FBI collected military fatigues that were found in his room, the affidavit says.
During an interview with Johnson, which was recorded on video, the affidavit continues, Johnson told law enforcement personnel that, on July 18, he had observed Borchardt in the military fatigues in their apartment. “He found this odd,” the affidavit says. When Johnson asked Borchardt about the latter’s attire, it continues, Borchardt responded that “he was going for a walk.”
Moreover, the affidavit notes, Johnson reported that Borchardt had “displayed ‘stacks’ of cash inside the apartment over the [previous] month,” and Borchardt had stayed in the apartment, “which was against his normal routine.”
It adds, “Later, when Borchardt observed law enforcement outside, he became anxious and told Johnson that if asked, to tell the police that he does not know Borchardt.”
A second roommate — Rebekah Harwell — told officers that she had not been at the apartment since the beginning of June. When they showed her the same photos from the robberies that they had shown Johnson, the affidavit continues, she also confirmed that they were of Borchardt. Further, Harwell told the officers that she knew he was in the Army, but she had little other information about him, “other than she found it weird he didn’t have a bank account and always paid Johnson with cash for the rent,” the affidavit notes.
When law enforcement personnel interviewed Borchardt, the affidavit continues, he said “he knew nothing of [the robberies]. When shown a photo from the [incidents],” the affidavit adds, “Borchardt said he wanted an attorney and the interview was terminated.”
The News Leader found no other charges against Borchardt in the files maintained by Karen Rushing, Sarasota County clerk of the Circuit Court and county comptroller, and her staff, except those related to his alleged robberies of the credit union.
Moreover, the publication found no records involving Borchardt when it checked the files maintained by the clerks of court for Manatee, Charlotte, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.