Pittsburgh Man Responsible for Multiple Armed Bank Robberies Sentenced to 8+ Years in Prison

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to eight years and 8 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his convictions on federal bank robbery charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today

United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Thomas Hetrick, 51. Hetrick was detained after his initial appearance and will remain detained as he begins to serve his sentence.

According to information presented to the court, Hetrick, while armed with either a knife or a gun, robbed the Dollar Bank, located at 1712 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, on August 21, 2017; the First Commonwealth Bank, located at 2501 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, on August 24, 2017 and again on August 30, 2017; and the First Commonwealth Bank, located at 500 East Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15210, on September 25, 2017. Hetrick also attempted to rob, while armed with a knife, the same First Commonwealth Bank, located at 2501 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, on September 25, 2017.

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The FBI Pittsburgh’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the Homestead Police Department, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Thomas Hetrick.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.