Edgewater Park Man Sentenced to 462 Months in Prison for Committing Two Armed Bank Robberies

CAMDEN—An Edgewater Park man was sentenced to 462 months in federal prison today for committing two violent armed bank robberies of the same PNC bank branch in Glendora, during which he forced bank employees at gunpoint into the bank’s vault, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez, who presided over the eight-day trial, also ordered Michael A. Powell, 40, to pay approximately $112,000 in restitution and to serve five years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison term.

On May 1, 2009, after nine hours of deliberations, a federal jury convicted Powell of all counts contained in a four-count Indictment, which charged him with two counts each of armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline M. Carle and Jennifer Davenport.

During the trial, the jury heard the testimony of government witnesses and viewed evidence regarding the armed robberies of the PNC Bank branch on April 30 and July 2, 2008, in which Powell took $73,250 and 38,750, respectively.

According to trial testimony and evidence, on April 30, 2008, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Powell entered the PNC Bank armed with a handgun and wearing sunglasses and a face covering. Powell then forced three bank employees into the vault and ordered one of the tellers at gun point to open the day gate and a cash safe located in the vault. Powell then took approximately $73,250 from the cash safe and closed employees in the vault by shutting one of the gates to the vault.

On July 2, 2008, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Powell and a second man entered the same PNC Bank, again wearing face coverings and armed with handguns. The yet unidentified bank robber forced two bank employees into the vault, while Powell controlled other employees and customers, including a woman and her baby, in the lobby area at gunpoint. The two bank robbers fled with approximately $38,750.

According to trial evidence, Powell used some of the bank robbery proceeds to purchase a 2004 Lexus LS 400 sedan for $20,000 on April 30, 2008, and a 2005 GMC Yukon for $19,140 on June 25, 2008.

The jury also heard the testimony of a confidential informant (“CI”) who agreed to record conversations with Powell. The CI engaged in conversations with Powell in August 2008, during which Powell attempted to recruit the CI to do a bank robbery with him. Powell described committing bank robberies in the past and, more particularly, described the physical location of the PNC Bank in Glendora. Powell explained to the CI that the bank he previously robbed was “sweet” because of its location and the fact that three women open the bank in the morning. Powell stated that he put the employees in the vault and closed the door behind him which allowed him five to ten minutes to get away from the bank.

In determining the actual sentence, Judge Rodriguez consulted the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Fishman credited Special Agents of the FBI South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk, Investigators with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk, and Gloucester Township Police, under the direction of Chief Edward S. Smith, for the ongoing investigation.