FLORENCE, S.C. – John Henry Stack, 76, of Myrtle Beach, will spend the next decade in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of robbing the Anderson Brothers Bank in Aynor on March 10, 2023. The brazen daylight robbery wasn’t Stack’s first rodeo; he was already on supervised release for previous federal bank robbery convictions when he decided to target another financial institution.
According to court documents, Stack walked into the bank around midday disguised in a pathetic attempt at disguise: a blue medical scrub shirt, black jacket, winter hat, sunglasses, and a medical mask. He slapped a pillowcase on the teller’s counter and brandished what appeared to be a handgun – actually a long-handled lighter concealed in his hand. He demanded cash, and the teller, understandably frightened, handed over $2,130.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies quickly zeroed in on Stack. The getaway vehicle, a beat-up Ford Focus with significant passenger-side damage, was traced back to a recent purchase by the defendant. Police stopped the vehicle around 10 p.m. that same night in Myrtle Beach, discovering a hotel room rented by Stack registered under his name and paid for in cash. A search of the car and room turned up the robbery outfit, pillowcases matching the one used at the bank, $765 in cash, and the red long-handled lighter used to intimidate the teller.
Stack didn’t even bother denying the crime. He confessed to investigators, detailing the entire operation, including his attempt to “fake out” the teller with the lighter. He admitted to concealing the lighter to make it *look* like a gun, hoping to scare her into handing over the money. Apparently, a prior stint in federal prison hadn’t taught him a lesson about the futility – and danger – of bank robbery.
“Even after a significant sentence for the same crime, Mr. Stack continued to threaten the safety of the community by committing another bank robbery,” stated U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Adair F. Boroughs. The collaborative effort between the Aynor and Myrtle Beach Police Departments, SLED, and the FBI Columbia Field Office was praised for bringing Stack to justice. “Stack’s actions put innocent lives in harm’s way,” added FBI Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen. “This sentence reflects the weight of the crime.”
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Stack to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The judge also ordered Stack to pay $2,130 in restitution to the Anderson Brothers Bank. The court clearly expressed disappointment that Stack had violated its trust by re-offending, proving that some criminals are beyond rehabilitation.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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