Connecticut Man Sentenced To 13 Years’ Imprisonment For Committing Six Bank Robberies

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Sandy Lee Parks, age 61, of New Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 156 months’ imprisonment for six bank robberies in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Parks previously pleaded guilty to all six counts in a criminal information charging the following bank robberies and armed bank robberies:

• Savings Institute Bank & Trust, Westerly, Rhode Island, on February 20, 2015;

• Coastway Credit Union, Warwick, Rhode Island, on June 16, 2015;

• Citizen’s Bank, Stonington, Connecticut, on June 24, 2015;

• People’s Security Bank, Duryea, Pennsylvania, on July 3, 2015;

• Wells Fargo Bank, Plymouth, Pennsylvania, on July 10, 2015; and

• First Niagra Bank, Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, on July 17, 2015.

Shortly after the First Niagra Bank robbery on July 17, 2015, officers from the Upper Macungie Police Department arrested Parks, who was driving the vehicle identified in surveillance footage as the getaway car. A search incident to arrest revealed a pellet gun and other evidence connecting him to the First Niagra robbery. Parks has been detained in federal custody since his arrest.

In addition to the 156-month term of imprisonment, Judge Mannion also ordered that Parks be placed on supervised release for a period of three years following the service of his sentence. Judge Mannion further ordered that Parks make restitution in the amount of $49,816, which represents the total amount of money stolen in the first five robberies. The amount of $8,140 stolen from First Niagra Bank was previously returned.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Duryea, Plymouth Township, Upper Macungie, Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Township, Plains Township, Jenkins Township, West Pittston, Edwardsville, Warwick, Rhode Island, Hanover, and Kingston Police Departments, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys John Gurganus and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.

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