Alleged Bank Robber Charged

Marcus Akiem Ricketts, 36, of Boyertown, Pennsylvania, was charged today by superseding indictment with armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. These charges stem from four armed bank robberies. The indictment alleges Ricketts committed the following armed robberies: on June 8, 2010, at the Sovereign Bank, located at 258 East High Street, Pottstown, Pennsylvania; on January 24, 2012, at the Citizens Bank, located at 209 Lancaster Avenue, Devon, Pennsylvania; on April 12, 2012, at the First Niagara Bank, located at 502 State Avenue, Emmaus, Pennsylvania; and on July 2, 2012, at the Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (M&T Bank), formerly located at 760 North Pottstown Pike, in Exton, Pennsylvania.

If convicted of all charges, Ricketts faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 82 years, five years of supervised release, a $2 million fine, and an $800 special assessment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Chester County Sheriff’s Department, the Chester County Detectives, and the police departments for Easttown Township, Emmaus, Lower Merion, Pottstown, Uwchlan, Shillington Township, Warminster, and West Whiteland, Pennsylvania. In addition, the District Attorney’s offices for the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, and Montgomery were also involved in the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery W. Whitt.

An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.