Buffalo Man Laverne Palmer Pleads Guilty to 6 Bank Robberies

Laverne Palmer, a 26-year-old Buffalo man also known as Poogaloo, has admitted to orchestrating and participating in six violent bank heists across Western New York. The robberies targeted First Niagara and Key Bank branches in Lancaster, Depew, and Buffalo — each executed with threatening handwritten notes demanding cash and warning tellers to make no sudden movements or eye contact.

Palmer pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci to multiple counts of bank robbery. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who is prosecuting the case, laid out a pattern of coordinated thefts where Palmer either directly handed over demand notes or assisted others in doing so.

Each robbery followed a chillingly similar script: a note passed to a teller, a demand for U.S. currency, and an implicit threat cloaked in cold, written words like “no sudden movements.” The psychological toll on bank employees is part of the federal case, underscoring the violent nature of crimes often dismissed as non-confrontational.

The investigation was a multi-agency effort led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen. Crucial support came from the Lancaster Police Department under Chief Gerald Gill, the Depew Police Department under Chief Stan Carwile, and the Buffalo Police Department under Commissioner Daniel Derenda. Their collaboration pieced together surveillance, handwriting analysis, and witness testimony to corner Palmer.

According to court documents, no firearms were reported during the robberies — but the use of threatening language is enough to trigger federal armed robbery statutes. That means Palmer could still face the full 20-year maximum sentence despite not brandishing a weapon.

Palmer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2017, in federal court before Judge Geraci. Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. emphasized that the swift resolution sends a message: robbing banks in Western New York comes with steep consequences. For now, the tellers who faced down those notes can expect closure — but only after Palmer learns the full weight of his crimes in a federal cell.