Philadelphia Man Admits Robbing 2 Pittsburgh-area Banks

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday to charges of bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Germaine Kelly, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2019.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 10, 2015, Kelly robbed the Dollar Bank located in Pleasant Hills, Pa. He presented a demand note for $10,000. The teller gave the defendant $1,115. On July 14, 2015, Kelly robbed the First National Bank in West Mifflin, PA. He presented a demand note for $5,000. The teller gave the defendant $8,370. Each note advised the teller not to place any dye packs or tracking devices with the money. In each note, Kelly also advised the teller to remember teller training and threatened to come back and kill the teller. Fingerprints lifted from the note left at First National Bank matched two of the defendant’s fingerprints. The defendant confessed to robbing both banks.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Judge Bissoon ordered the defendant to remain detained pending sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County Police and the West Mifflin Police Departments conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.