Shenandoah man pleads guilty for 2017 Frackville bank robbery
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL FILE PHOTO - Miners Bank while law enforcement agencies investigated a robbery on May 26, 2017.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
FRACKVILLE – A Shenandoah man will serve 6-to-15 years in prison after he attempted to rob a Frackville bank last May.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Larry Dettery, 39, of West Penn Street, was charged with robbery and placing several bank employees in fear of serious bodily injury or death through his use of what he claimed was an explosive device, and was sentenced by Schuylkill County Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin to prison, and must pay restitution of $3,332.
“This bank robber left innocent employees at the bank feeling in fear for their lives,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “Fortunately, the defendant left a trail of evidence near the crime scene that pointed law enforcement right back to him, and he was arrested. Thanks to strong law enforcement collaboration between West Mahanoy Township Police, Pennsylvania State Police and our prosecutors, we’re delivering justice to the people of Frackville.”
On May 26, 2017, Dettery entered the Frackville branch of Miners Bank, proceeding to place a package on the counter with a note.
The note stated the package was a bomb, and demanded money in a hurry.
Dettery fled the bank, discarding his glasses and hoodie in the woods behind Rite Aid.
A cell phone inside the hoodie displayed his photo as its lock screen, and the sweatshirt matched the description of the robber.
A State Police Bomb Squad and a HAZMAT team from Berks County were dispatched, and the package was deemed safe.
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