August 6, 2014

Judge Gives Bank Robber 10 Years in Prison

PHILADELPHIA—Mark Labenz, 33, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for robbing four Philadelphia banks between December 2009 and January 2014. Labenz pleaded guilty on March 19, 2014 to the following robberies: December 31, 2009, Citizens Bank at 2102 Cottman Avenue; December 19, 2013, the Republic Bank located at 833 Chestnut Street; December 23, 2013, the Prudential Savings Bank, located at 28 North 3rd Street; and January 3, 2014, the Wells Fargo Bank located at 340-350 South 2nd Street. In the last bank robbery, Labenz physically restrained a bank customer while demanding the money from the bank. He also stole the customer’s $400.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Juan Sanchez ordered three years of supervised release, $5,889 in restitution, and a $400 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ewald Zittlau.