SCRANTON, PA — Damen Drakeford, 30, of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2023, to committing multiple bank robberies. The admission was made before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Drakeford confessed to robbing four banks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in July 2023. The institutions targeted included Fulton Bank in Netcong, New Jersey, Provident Bank in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Fidelity Bank in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, and M&T Bank in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
A total of $32,988 was stolen during the robberies. After the M&T Bank robbery, Drakeford led the Pennsylvania State Police and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department on a high-speed vehicle chase. After crashing his vehicle, Drakeford fled into nearby woods where he was apprehended and arrested.
The charges against Drakeford were the result of an investigation conducted by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. The Fair Lawn and Netcong Police Departments in New Jersey and the New Jersey State Police also assisted with the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Under federal law, Drakeford faces a maximum sentence of up to twenty years in prison for each robbery, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. The final sentencing will be determined by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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