Federal Escapee Pleads Guilty to Escape and the Robbery of Dunmore Bank

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Romeal Price, age 36, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty Thursday to escape and bank robbery before Senior United States District Court Judge James M. Munley.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Price appeared in federal court in Scranton and admitted escaping from the Catholic Social Services Residential Reentry Center on June 18, 2013. At the time, he was serving the remaining few months of a 15-year federal prison sentence from 2001. Price further admitted that 10 days later while a fugitive, he robbed the Pennstar Bank, 1230 O’Neill Highway, Dunmore, Pennsylvania, of approximately $11,000. Following the robbery, Price fled to New York City. On July 17, 2013, deputies of the United States Marshals Service arrested Price in a New York City apartment without incident.

The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Dunmore Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gurganus.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 25 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a 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.