Former Savannah Resident Sentenced to 157 Months in Prison for Third Bank Robbery Conviction

SAVANNAH, GA—Edward J. Tarver, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced today that David Pawloski, formerly of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge William T. Moore to 157 months’ imprisonment based on Pawloski’s conviction for the September 4, 2009 bank robbery of a Bank of America branch located in Savannah. Pawloski had previously entered a guilty plea to Robbery on December 23, 2009.

The case against Pawloski resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. The evidence at Pawloski’s change of plea hearing showed that Pawloski, who is a convicted felon, entered the bank wearing a stocking cap and sunglasses, presented what later investigation revealed to be a toy hand gun, and demanded money from a bank teller. Pawloski exited the bank with approximately $2,385. As a result of the alert police work by members of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department, Pawloski was stopped in his vehicle a short time later, where police recovered the stolen money along with the handgun, sunglasses, and stocking cap used to commit the robbery. At the time Pawloski committed this bank robbery, Pawloski was on federal supervision based on two prior convictions for robbing the very same bank in 2001.

Tarver stated that Pawloski will be required to serve a three-year period of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence. Tarver added, “There is no parole in the federal system.” Pawloski is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal awaiting transfer to a federal facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons.

Tarver praised the cooperative efforts of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department, in the investigation and apprehension of Pawloski for this crime of violence.

The government was represented by Greg Hurchalla, Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.