William Fischer, Serial Bank Robbery, Pennsylvania 2018

SCRANTON, PA – A notorious serial bank robber has been sentenced to 235 months in prison for a string of 14 bank robberies across northeastern Pennsylvania.

William Fischer, 46, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 21, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for his brazen crimes, which netted a total of $203,779.30.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Fischer robbed 14 banks between December 1, 2015, and September 13, 2017, while brandishing a firearm in 12 of the offenses. He was arrested shortly after the September 13, 2017, robbery by the Pennsylvania State Police.

Fischer’s crime spree began on December 1, 2015, at the NBT Bank in Elmhurst, where he made off with $6,946. He went on to rob 13 more banks, including the NBT Bank in Newfoundland, Community Bank in Scranton, and First Keystone Community Bank in Newfoundland.

The defendant’s crimes reached a peak on April 7, 2016, when he robbed the Community Bank in Scranton, making off with a staggering $40,226.50. He continued to rob banks throughout 2016 and 2017, with the final robbery occurring on September 13, 2017, at the Peoples Security Bank and Trust in Gouldsboro.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Mannion ordered Fischer to pay $187,010.30 to the victims of his crimes. The United States also forfeited $29,697.75 of Fischer’s assets, 24 firearms, ammunition, and other firearms components.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and numerous local law enforcement authorities throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.

Fischer’s sentence brings an end to a violent and prolific crime spree that terrorized communities across northeastern Pennsylvania. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

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