Wilkes-Barre Man Charged with Bank and Credit Union Robberies
Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that a federal grand jury yesterday returned an indictment charging a Wilkes-Barre man with robbing Citizen’s Bank and Choice One Federal Credit Union in Wilkes-Barre on July 23rd and July 26th.
Carlson stated that Leon Stanford, age 39, allegedly stole $920 from the Federal Credit Union and $4090 from Citizen’s Bank.
Carlson noted that the arrest and indictment of Stanford resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Wilkes-Barre Police.
If Stanford is convicted of the charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release to follow any prison sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment.
Carlson noted that Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
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An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.
