Lamont Gates, Bank Robbery, Pennsylvania 2019

Lamont Gates, 65, Sentenced to 5 Years and 10 Months in Prison for Bank Robbery in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania

A former resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Lamont Gates has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of five years and 10 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on charges of bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. Senior United States District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Gates.

According to information presented to the court, on October 5, 2017, Lamont Gates, armed with a knife, robbed the Dollar General store located on Penn Ave. in Wilkinsburg. Gates took approximately $310 before fleeing the store. One week later, on October 12, 2017, Gates entered the PNC Bank, also on Penn Avenue, and advised the teller that it was a stick-up. He demanded $20 bills. Gates reached through the metal bars on the teller counter in an attempt to grab either the teller or money. He then threatened to blow the teller’s head off and reached for an object with a black handle in his back pocket. The teller gave Gates approximately $2,060, including bait money.

A few minutes later, Gates was observed in the parking lot of the beer distributor one block away from the PNC Bank. After a brief chase, officers arrested Gates. Officers recovered $1,940 (in $20 bills) from Gates. It appears that he had already purchased a few items from the beer distributor. No weapons were recovered. Gates confessed to the Dollar General robbery.

Lamont Gates, 65, was sentenced on charges of bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. The crime dates back to 2017, when Gates robbed a Dollar General store and a PNC Bank in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. The total amount stolen was approximately $3,370. Gates will serve five years and 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wilkinsburg Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Lamont Gates. Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

This case serves as a reminder that bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery are serious crimes that carry severe consequences. The punishment for these crimes is designed to deter individuals from engaging in such behavior. Lamont Gates will now face the consequences of his actions and serve time in prison for his crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/wilkinsburg-man-sentenced-almost-6-years-prison-robbing-local-dollar-general-and-pnc