BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Casey Swain, 37, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with bank robbery. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caleb Petzoldt and Brendan T. Cullinane, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 24, 2015, the First Niagara Bank on Clinton Street in Buffalo was robbed in what is believed to be the first of 13 connected bank robberies. The robberies involved the robber passing similar notes which demanded that the money provided contain no bank security devices and instructed the victims not to make any eye contact or sudden movement or things would turn bad. The complaint states that Swain became a suspect relatively early on.
On June 5, 2015, an individual entered the first Niagara Bank on Abbott Road in Buffalo, approached a teller and passed a note which essentially stated large bills only, no eye contact, no dye pack, no sudden movements. According to the complaint, investigators identified Swain as the individual in bank surveillance photos.
“Our Office takes very seriously these crimes that can terrorize members of the public and employees working at local businesses," said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute such defendants."
Swain made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder. He is being held.
The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction on the part of Adam S. Cohen.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
