Thief Claimed He Needed Money To Make a Film, Pleads Guilty to Stealing $4K From Florida Bank

This man said robbery was the only way he knew how to make money.

Nacoe Ray Brown, a Baltimore man visiting Florida on June 28, 2022, pleaded guilty Thursday to bank robbery after he swindled the McCoy Federal Credit Union in Belle Isle out of $4,296, claiming to need the funds for a movie.

According to Law and Crime, Brown, who is facing a 20-year prison sentence, has a history of robbing banks.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida identified the 54-year-old, who wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, a surgical-style face mask, and plastic gloves during the robbery.

An affidavit supporting Brown’s arrest explained that Brown approached one of the bank tellers, who was identified as J.L.

“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 said. “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.”

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

The affidavit continued explaining that the teller filled a plastic bag that Brown provided, with the “bait money,” additional cash, and Brown’s note before the thief left the bank with over $4,000.

Police arrested Brown at a hotel that another McCoy Federal Credit Union employee saw him enter after fleeing the bank. Before he escaped to the hotel, the employee, identified as L.R., said Brown ran into a gas station where he tossed his disguise, which police later recovered in the station’s bathroom trash.

Brown was taken to the Belle Isle Police Department, where he admitted to committing the bank robbery at the credit union that day.

Fox 35 Orlando reported that Brown shared his reason for robbing the bank, saying he was in Florida to make a movie, ran out of cash, and “he could not resist the demons.”

Judge Paul G. Byron, who former President Barack Obama appointed, set Brown’s sentencing for April 5.