Guilford Woman Sentenced For Role In Violent Robberies Across CT: Feds

GUILFORD, CT — A Guilford woman was sentenced Friday to two years in prison and two years of supervised release for assisting in the commission of numerous violent robberies across Connecticut nearly four years ago, according to an announcement from David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut

Rebecca Barbera, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport. Barbera is currently released on bond and scheduled to report to prison on Sept. 4.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between Sept. 5 and Oct. 13, 2022, Barbera’s associate, Lonny Cross, committed 37 robberies and attempted robberies of gas station convenience stores, mini-markets, and liquor stores across the state, Sullivan said.

The incidents occurred in Bristol, Darien, Franklin, Groton City, Ledyard, Naugatuck, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Norwich, Norwalk, Orange, Plymouth, Seymour, Southington, Stratford, Stonington, Waterbury, Waterford, Watertown, West Haven, Wethersfield, Wolcott, and in Port Chester, N.Y.

In total, Cross stole more than $58,000 in cash, Sullivan said, noting several of the robberies occurred on the same day, only minutes apart.

For at least 24 of the robberies, Cross traveled to the store with Barbera, who would sometimes enter the store to determine the number of employees and customers in the store, exit the store, and then report that information to Cross, according to Sullivan.

Cross would then enter the store, display a knife or facsimile firearm while threatening employees and stealing cash and other items, Sullivan said.

During a robbery in Wethersfield on Sept. 24, 2022, Cross threatened the 12-year-old son of the store owner with a knife and robbed the register, Sullivan said. The boy was alone behind the counter while his father was in a back office when Cross entered the store.

On Oct. 14, 2022, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of Cross’s residence and a black 2014 Chevrolet Impala that Cross was known to drive.

The search of the home found clothing consistent with clothing worn by Cross in several of the robberies, as well as quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, and narcotics paraphernalia, Sullivan said.

A search of the car found 120 bags of heroin, approximately 14 grams of crack, and a knit hat matching the description of one worn by Cross during a robbery the day before, Sullivan said.

Cross, who was on state parole for prior robbery convictions, was arrested on state charges on the date of the searches.

The morning after his arrest while in jail, Cross directed Barbera and others to go to a storage unit and dispose of a weapon he had used in the robberies, Sullivan said.

Barbera was arrested on Oct. 28, 2022. On May 24, 2024, she pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence.

Cross pleaded guilty to robbery offenses and, on March 5, 2025, was sentenced to 188 months in prison.