Federal Escapee Allegedly Involved in the Robbery of Dunmore Bank Charged
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 15, 2013 |
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the filing of a criminal information in U.S. District Court in Scranton Wednesday charging Romeal Price, age 36, of Brooklyn, New York, with escape and bank robbery.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the information charges that while completing his remaining few months of a 15-year federal prison sentence from 2001, Price escaped from the Catholic Social Services Residential Reentry Center on June 18, 2013. It is alleged that following his escape, Price robbed the Pennstar Bank, 1230 O’Neill Highway, Dunmore, Pennsylvania, of approximately $11,000 on June 28, 2013. Following the robbery, Price fled to New York City. On July 17, 2013, deputies of the United States Marshals Service arrested Price in a New York City apartment without incident.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Dunmore Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus.
Indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 25 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public, and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational, and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.