Cheektowaga Man Sentenced To 15 Years For Bank Robbery

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Thomas Cascio, 52, of Cheektowaga, NY, who was convicted following a jury trial of bank robbery, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who handled the trial of the case, stated that on March 6, 2017, at approximately 1:09 p.m., Cascio entered the Key Bank at 5200 Main Street in Amherst, NY. Wearing a hard hat, safety vest, and eye protection goggles, the defendant approached a teller and passed a bank robbery note. The teller only recalled reading the word “Robbery” at the top of the note before the individual took the note back and told her to “Hurry up!” and “Don’t give me funny money!” The teller gave money to Cascio who then departed the bank. Witnesses described the defendant as having a distinctive nose and gray hair. 

The Amherst Police Department issued a high quality bank robbery surveillance photo to local media stations which aired the photo on the evening of March 6, 2017, asking for public assistance. On March 7, 2017, eight people contacted either the Amherst Police Department or FBI identifying the robber as Thomas Cascio. In addition, there were numerous anonymous calls to the Amherst Police Department that identified Cascio as the bank robber.

In 2000, the defendant was convicted in federal court of four bank robberies and sentenced to 48 months in prison. In some of those robberies, Cascio’s movements were similar to his movements on May 6, 2017, including taking the note back from the teller before leaving the bank.

In 2009, Cascio was convicted in state court of one bank robberies and served two years in prison.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.