Buffalo Man Sentenced for Series of Bank Robberies in Buffalo and Rochester

U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Michael Makolinski, 31 of Buffalo, New York, who was convicted of bank robbery, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by United States Judge William Skretny.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between October and December 2007, the defendant robbed five banks: the Bank of America in Batavia, New York; the Northwest Savings Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania; the Fairport Savings Bank in Irondequoit, New York; the First Niagara Bank in Lewiston, New York; and the Evans National Bank in Buffalo, New York. During each of the robberies, Makolinski displayed what appeared to be a gun. The defendant confessed to committing the robberies in June 2010 after being arrested by the Buffalo Police Department for an unrelated offense.

“This serial bank robber thought he could prey upon banks located in some of our area’s smaller communities as well as the city of Buffalo,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “The fact that law enforcement got their man several years after the defendant’s last robbery is certainly a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our police officers and federal agents. It should also serve as a warning to other criminals that this office will not rest until those responsible for federal crime are brought to justice.”

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota and the Buffalo Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.