Virginia Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Five Tidewater Area Banks

NORFOLK, VA—James Nathan Pizer, 42, of Virginia Beach, Va., pleaded guilty today in Norfolk federal court to the armed robbery of five banks in the Tidewater area.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted Pizer’s guilty plea. Pizer will be sentenced on September 8, 2011 and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

According to court documents, Pizer admitted to robbing five banks in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk between July and November 2010. He also admitted that he attempted to rob a sixth bank on November 24, 2010, but was unable to enter the bank because tellers saw him coming, recognized him from warning flyers disseminated by law enforcement, and refused to allow him to enter the bank. Pizer was arrested later that day after his failed attempt.

This case was investigated by the FBI. Special Assistant United States Attorney Cameron M. Rountree and Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin L. Hatch are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae/. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.