A Pittsburgh man, Mark Laughner, 38, has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for bank robbery. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon on September 4, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Laughner was ordered to pay restitution to the affected bank.
According to court information, Laughner entered a Reserve Township bank on May 16, 2024. He wore a baseball cap and neck gaiter that covered his mouth and nose and instructed the teller to hand over all large bills. After receiving $100 and $50 bills from the teller’s cash drawer, he threatened her by saying he would shoot her in the face if she did not provide more cash quickly. Laughner left the scene with $1,370 in U.S. currency. He was identified using surveillance footage and witness interviews.
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Laughner. On May 20, 2024, detectives saw him in a vehicle outside a Pittsburgh fire station. As law enforcement approached with emergency lights activated, the driver exited while Laughner moved into the driver’s seat and fled by reversing at high speed. Despite multiple commands to stop, he nearly struck two detectives before abandoning the vehicle in the street and fleeing on foot. Law enforcement officers apprehended him with assistance from a police K-9 unit after finding him hiding in thick brush.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted the case for the government.
The investigation was conducted by both the Allegheny County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together various levels of law enforcement with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. The Department launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021. This approach emphasizes trust-building in communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence before it occurs, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes through results.
