York Man Indicted for Alleged Three-County Violent Crime Spree

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal grand jury in Harrisburg has return an indictment against a York, Pennsylvania man charging him with bank robbery and interference with commerce through robbery and through violence and carjacking.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Alexander Cruz, age 32, was indicted today after an alleged month-long violent crime spree. It is alleged that between July 31, 2010, and August 10, 2010, Cruz committed four bank robberies, the armed robbery of a convenience store, and an armed carjacking in Adams, Cumberland, and York Counties. The robberies took place on the following dates and following locations.

• July 31, 2010 - Sovereign Bank, York, Pennsylvania;
• August 4, 2010 - Rutter’s Convenience Store, York, Pennsylvania;
• August 5, 2010 - Sovereign Bank, York, Pennsylvania;
• August 6, 2010 - Orrstown Bank, Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and
• August 10, 2010 - PNC Bank, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Cruz was arrested and is in custody.

If convicted, Cruz faces a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Northern York County Regional Police, Carlisle Borough Police, York City Police and Gettysburg Borough Police. Prosecution of Cruz has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Eric Pfisterer, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.

An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.