Taser-Carrying Bank Robber Sentenced to 408 Months in Prison

PHILADELPHIA—Tyrone Bentley, 35, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 408 months in prison for the July 3, 2010 robbery of the Wachovia National Bank, located at 3625 Horizon Boulevard in Trevose, Pennsylvania. Bentley was armed with a Taser when he and his accomplice, armed with a gun, terrorized the bank employees and stole approximately $38,000 in cash.

Police chased Bentley’s van and eventually found him hiding in a bush. He ran again, and, once he was finally caught, he fought with the officers, attempted to grab an officer’s gun, and attempted to provoke the officers to shoot him. Ultimately, it took several police officers to subdue Bentley and place him under arrest. Bentley was convicted January 9, 2012, of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

Bentley has two previous convictions for possession of a controlled substance and Hobbs Act robbery. He was on federal supervised release when he committed the robbery at the Wachovia Bank branch. The previous case involved the armed robbery of an armored car.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Salvatore L. Astolfi.