Steven Wisnowski Gets 10 Years for 8 Bank Heists

Steven Wisnowski, 33, of Barnegat, New Jersey, is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting to holding up eight banks in New Jersey and New York over a three-month crime spree. The sentence, handed down today in Trenton federal court, marks the end of a brazen run that terrorized bank tellers and triggered a multi-agency manhunt.

Wisnowski pleaded guilty to an eight-count superseding information before U.S. District Judge Peter J. Sheridan. The charges stem from robberies committed between October 30, 2013, and January 7, 2014. Seven of the heists occurred in New Jersey—in Edison, Brick, Bayside, Toms River, and Aberdeen—while one took place in Bayside, New York. Each robbery followed a chilling playbook: Wisnowski entered wearing disguises—hats, hooded jackets, wigs—and demanded cash, often implying he was armed.

At Columbia Bank in Edison on November 27, 2013, Wisnowski appeared to point a concealed weapon at a teller and commanded, “Give me all your hundreds.” He counted down from 10 as the teller complied. Days later at TD Bank in Toms River, he used the same pattern of concealment and intimidation. At Fulton Bank in Edison on January 7, 2014, he handed a teller a manila envelope, stating, “Give me what I want and nobody gets hurt. I want large bills,” then lifted his sweatshirt as if carrying a gun.

The final robbery ended in a flash of violence. Law enforcement tracked Wisnowski’s vehicle to the Fulton Bank scene. Officers confronted him as he exited, ordering him to the ground at gunpoint. Wisnowski tossed the cash-filled envelope and bolted—only to be captured moments later in a short foot chase. The recovered evidence sealed his fate.

In addition to the 120-month prison term, Judge Sheridan ordered three years of supervised release and restitution totaling $22,240. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman credited the FBI, under Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, for leading the investigation, and praised cooperation from multiple local police departments and county prosecutors across Middlesex, Ocean, and Monmouth counties.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamari Buxton of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark. Wisnowski was represented by Chester Keller, Assistant Federal Public Defender. The courtroom was silent as the sentence was read—ten years for ten weeks of terror bank by bank.