Pennsylvania Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Bank Robbery

Department of Justice

SCRANTON, PA — A federal grand jury in Scranton indicted a Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, man for bank robbery on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on July 14, 2023, Damen Drakeford, age 29, committed a robbery of the M&T Bank located at 900 North Ninth Street in Stroud Township, Monroe County.

The charges against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under federal law, Drakeford faces a maximum sentence of up to twenty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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