CT man accused of having friend call in phony report of armed robbery

A man faces a felony charge for allegedly having a friend call in a phony armed robbery report in Bloomfield following an incident in which he had barricaded himself inside a local residence.

Matthew Cosenza, 35, of Simsbury faces one count of falsely reporting a large-scale emergency, according to the Bloomfield Police Department.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, several police officers responded with lights and sirens to Ocean State Job Lot at 20 Mountain Ave. on March 20 around 2:36 p.m. on the report of an armed robbery. The caller said he had received a text message from a friend asking if he could call in the robbery.

Officers who responded to the store spoke to an employee who informed them there was no known emergency, the affidavit said. Multiple customers were alarmed following the police presence, an investigator noted in the affidavit.

Text messages between Cosenza and the caller showed that Cosenza asked for a “favor” and requested the man call in the robbery report “ASAP.” When the man asked if he was kidding, Cosenza said “no,” the affidavit said. The friend informed Cosenza he was calling and Cosenza replied “Thank for. God,” according to the affidavit.

The friend then asked Cosenza if he knew how many people were involved in the robbery or if he had any additional information and Cosenza replied with a video of himself, the affidavit said.

“Are you kidding me. This is not funny. Nor a great joke,” the man responded to Cosenza, the affivadit said.

Investigators said they reviewed the video and it appeared to be taken during an exchange between Cosenza and police officers when he locked himself in a residence on Woodland Avenue earlier in the day. Police had responded to the home at 10:19 a.m. on the report of an attempted assault.

When officers arrived, they learned that Cosenza, who was allegedly involved in the dispute, had locked himself into a bedroom of the home, the affidavit said. Cosenza, who was a guest at the residence, spoke to officers through the door and refused to come out despite police informing him they held two active warrants for his arrest, police wrote.

The two officers who responded to the home ultimately left when Cosenza refused to come out and were later dispatched with the phone robbery report, according to the affidavit.

Cosenza posted a $20,000 bond following his arrest on Nov. 22 and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court on Jan. 3.