Professional mixed martial arts competitor Sergio DaSilva was taken into police custody Thursday after police identified him as a suspect in a Bank Robbery that occurred August 24.
According to an article from The Daily Mail, the CitiBank on Steinway Street in Queens, New York was allegedly held up around 9 a.m. last week. Law enforcement officials identified DaSilva from fingerprints left behind at the scene. His prints were obtained and kept on police file after an arrest in 2008.
DaSilva allegedly got away with $45,000 in cash after telling bank tellers he had a gun.
'Give me all the money. I will shoot everybody,' witnesses told police.
Tough year for DaSilva
The 31-year old fighter was arrested at his home, one block away from the bank. He last competed in a professional MMA fight at Bellator MMA's largest fight card to date, just two months ago, June 24 at Madison Square Garden. In that fight, DaSilva was submitted by Matt Rizzo in the third round of their scheduled three-round fight.
The day prior to the Bellator 180 fight against Rizzo, a video of DaSilva weighing in for the contest went viral after he tried to cheat while stepping on the scale. DaSilva was caught trying to stand on one foot while in front of New York State Athletic Commission officials.
He missed weight for the contest and was fined part of his fight earnings.
The mixed martial artist holds a losing pro record of six wins and nine losses. Most of his fights came during his tenure with Cage Fury Fighting Championships, one of the more predominant MMA organizations through New Jersey and Pennsylvania. DaSilva began fighting professionally in 2011.
Innocent until proven guilty
DaSilva took to Facebook the day of his arrest to pronounce his innocence. "Crazy day to say the least. I am truly overwhelmed by all the love and support I have received," he wrote.
"I got all the text, calls, emails, messages etc. Thank you to my phenomenal lawyer, I'm home and my attorney is working hard to clear this up.
As much as I would love to speak more about the allegations, my legal team has rightfully advised me against discussing any details until the case is over. We are following all the necessary steps required. I'm ready to cooperate and clear up my name."
The crime for which DaSilva was arrested is a felony and if convicted he could face up to 25 years in prison according to federal statutes. DaSilva is currently not in police custody and no information on a trial has yet to be released.
