Canton Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Eight Bank Robberies
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 04, 2013 |
A Canton man was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to eight bank robberies in Pennsylvania and Ohio, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office.
Benjamin G. Gates, age 34, was sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Judge James Gwin.
“This sentence should send a clear message to those who would think about robbing a bank,” Dettelbach said. “Our law enforcement partners are to be commended for bringing an end to this wave of bank robberies.”
“This case reflects the valued partnership between the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the citizens of Northern Ohio,” Anthony said. “Subsequent to the media’s rapid release of key information, the public provided invaluable leads resulting in the arrest of Benjamin Gates.”
The 2012 robberies Gates pleaded guilty to are as follows:
- June 13: Citizens Bank, Pittsburgh
- June 25: Citizens Bank, Erie, Pennsylvania
- July 2: U.S. Bank, Canton, Ohio
- July 20: U.S. Bank, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
- July 27: Huntington Bank, Liberty, Ohio
- August 3: Huntington Bank, North Canton, Ohio
- August 16: U.S. Bank, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the following agencies: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Canton Police Department, North Canton Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Liberty Township Police Department, and the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr.