Maryland Man LaFrance Gets 41 Months for PA Bank Heists

Armed and desperate, Jacob Charles LaFrance, 29, of Thurmont, Maryland, stormed two Pennsylvania banks in a brazen spring 2018 crime spree that ended with a 41-month federal prison sentence. On April 30, 2019, U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane handed down justice in Harrisburg, ordering LaFrance to serve more than three years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $6,114 in stolen cash.

The first heist struck the PNC Bank in Fairfield, Adams County, on April 25, 2018. Surveillance footage captured LaFrance entering the branch, threatening staff, and fleeing with $4,266. Less than a week later, on May 3, 2018, he hit again—this time at the M&T Bank in Blue Ridge Summit, Franklin County—making off with an additional $1,848. Both robberies were executed with cold precision, leaving local communities on edge.

Federal prosecutors didn’t let the trail go cold. The FBI, working in tandem with the Frederick County (MD) Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll Valley Borough Police, and the Washington Township Police Department, rapidly identified and apprehended LaFrance. Evidence, including surveillance images and witness accounts, sealed his fate. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy led the prosecution, presenting a case that left no room for doubt.

U.S. Attorney David J. Freed made it clear: violent crimes against financial institutions won’t be tolerated. “LaFrance chose to terrorize bank employees and violate the trust of these communities,” Freed stated. “This sentence sends a message that federal and local law enforcement are watching—and we will respond with full force.”

The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative reinvigorated in 2017 to combat violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts. PSN prioritizes targeting repeat and violent offenders, using intelligence-driven strategies to dismantle criminal activity before it spreads.

LaFrance now begins his 41-month sentence in the federal system, a consequence of his choices on two fateful spring days. As banks tighten security and communities remain vigilant, his name joins the grim ledger of those who thought they could outrun the law—and lost.