Biglaw

Former Biglaw Associate Accused Of Being 'Serial Bank Robber'

He allegedly robbed -- or tried to rob -- five banks.

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Typically, when someone says “you got robbed” when referring to a lawyer, they’re talking about a case that went poorly or a huge bill. After a series of bank robberies in South Florida, one former Biglaw associate is allegedly bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase.

Earlier this week, the FBI arrested Aaron Honaker, 41, on suspicion of robbing, and attempting to rob, five banks. Honaker’s alleged crimes happened between September 30 and October 15 at four banks in Coral Gables (Citibank, Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, and HSBC Bank) and one bank in Aventura (Chase Bank).

Is this guy trying to become the next Shon Hopwood?

In interviews with Local 10 News, Honaker’s colleagues described him as a “highly intelligent” and “brilliant” attorney. “I have no explanation as to how he got to this point,” a former colleague said.

Honaker claims to be a graduate of Duke University and Duke Law on his LinkedIn profile, but the elite school says it has no record of him ever attending. Instead, it seems that he’s a graduate of Wake Forest University and Wake Forest Law. Honaker began his legal career as an associate at Greenberg Traurig, where he practiced business reorganization and financial restructuring. According to the FBI, he’s now allegedly involved in a different kind of financial restructuring.

The Miami Herald has the details on Honaker’s alleged robbery attempts:

Aaron Honaker (Image via Miami-Dade Corrections)

▪ Sept. 30 — Citibank, 396 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables.

The criminal complaint says Honaker, described as a 6-foot white male in his 30s, sat in the lobby for 15 minutes. He eventually handed a handwritten note to a teller warning against touching the alarm or calling the police while he asked for $10,000.

The teller said she told him she “didn’t have the money; it is in the machine.” Honaker left the bank with only his note.

▪ Oct. 3 — Chase, 20880 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura.

The complaint says Honaker told the teller he wanted to make a withdrawal, but lacked his debit card. He said, however, this note he was handing her would have instructions on how to help him withdraw cash. This time, the note requested all the $50 bills and $100 bills in the teller’s drawer be put in an envelope.

The teller did as asked. Honaker left with his note and $1,050.

▪ Oct. 5 — Wells Fargo, 2555 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables.

This time, the complaint says, Honaker donned “a floppy hat and a blue, short-sleeved shirt” but kept a similar note. This one said, “Keep calm and give me all the money in the drawer. I have a gun.”

The teller feigned trouble with English, giving her an excuse to talk with her manager. While she informed her manager that the guy in the floppy hat was trying to rob them, Honaker backed away, appeared to get on his phone, then left the bank.

▪ Oct. 10 — Chase, 355 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables.

The complaint says Honaker went back to asking for “$50s and $100s.” And he walked out with $800.

▪ Thursday, Oct. 15 — HSBC, 2222 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables.

This time, the complaint says, Honaker’s note confused the teller.

The teller “glanced at the note and, without realizing its true meaning, asked (Honaker) to fill out a withdrawal slip first because she needed an account number.”

So, Honaker did. On the withdrawal slip, he wrote, “read the note.” The note asked for all $100s, $50s and $20s.

The teller told Honaker, the complaint said, “The bank kept its cash in counting machines” so she couldn’t give him what he wanted.

He left.

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Honaker’s Florida Bar says he’s a senior associate at Martinez Morales, a business and real estate litigation firm. Per the Daily Business Review, partner Raul Morales says Honaker hasn’t worked at the firm for at least two years. “He disappeared. He was one day here, one day gone. I had no idea where he went,” Morales said.

Honaker is represented by a federal public defender and had his first court appearance on Wednesday. He currently remains in custody, and his bond hearing is scheduled for Friday.

FBI Announces the Arrest of an Alleged Serial Bank Robber [FBI]
Miami attorney arrested as Coral Gables and Aventura bank robbery suspect [Miami Herald]
FBI Arrests Florida Lawyer for Bank Robberies [Daily Business Review]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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