U.S. Department
of Justice
Luzerne County Men Indicted For Armed Bank Robbery
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that two Luzerne County men were indicted on July 11, 2017, by a federal grand jury on bank robbery charges.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the indictment charges Doug Sickler, age 36, and Shawn Cavanaugh, age 35, both of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with the armed robbery of the PNC Bank in Avoca, Pennsylvania and taking more than $2,000 on June 21, 2017.
The charges stem from a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Wilkes-Barre, Kingston and Pennsylvania State Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gotlob is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Sickler and Cavanaugh face a maximum of 25 years in prison as well as a $250,000 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.
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