Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, has announced that Michael McCann-Ortiz, also known as "Bando," aged 24 from Waterbury, has pleaded guilty to a carjacking offense. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport.
Court documents reveal that on June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles were stolen from a residence in Waterbury. Following this theft, McCann-Ortiz and others suspected an individual, referred to as "Victim 1," of involvement in the incident. That evening, Victim 1's friend, identified as "Victim 2," picked him up from work and drove him home. Upon their arrival at Victim 1's residence, three vehicles surrounded them.
McCann-Ortiz and his associates approached the victims with one associate carrying an assault-style rifle. They demanded the return of the stolen ATVs and threatened both individuals while physically assaulting them. Specifically, McCann-Ortiz threatened to kill the victims and inflicted serious bodily injury by punching and kicking one of them.
The group then stole Victim 2’s vehicle—owned by a relative—and other personal items and cash belonging to the victims. There is no evidence indicating Victim 1's involvement in the ATV theft.
McCann-Ortiz has pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment. Sentencing is set for May 22.
Since July 10, 2023, McCann-Ortiz has been detained following his arrest on unrelated state charges.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force is conducting this investigation with help from the Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang are prosecuting the case.