A New Jersey man who robbed a bank in 2021 by asking the teller to "please" give him the money was found guilty of the heist, according to the local prosecutor's office.
Essau Grant, 29 and of Newark, was convicted of second-degree robbery in connection to the July 3, 2021 robbing of the Capital One Bank located on Springfield Avenue in Newark, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II announced Monday.
On that day, prosecutors said, Grant was captured on surveillance video inside the bank, handing a teller a note that read: "I have a gun, give me all the money from the register please and no one will get hurt.”
According to the prosecutor, the teller gave Grant $2,300. Two days later, Grant was found and arrested by police.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
After a one-day trial, the jury returned the guilty verdict.
“Fortunately, no one was physically harmed in this case,” Assistant Prosecutor Ruddy Adames said. “This verdict would not have been possible if not for the teller who came to court and faced the defendant. I hope the verdict brings a sense of security to him and to the community at large.”
Grant will be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2024. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
