PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to charges of Bank Robbery and Attempted Bank Robbery, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Timothy Sowinski, age 53, of Pittsburgh, pled guilty to the charges before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
According to information presented to the Court at the time of the plea, Sowinski entered the Northwest Bank on Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh on March 12, 2018, and handed a demand note to the teller, stating that he had a gun and wanted cash. The teller complied with the demand and gave cash to Sowinski, who then fled the bank. Two days later, Sowinski entered the PNC Bank on Walnut Street in Pittsburgh and presented a similar note, but the teller did not immediately understand what Sowinski wanted. Another teller saw what was happening and activated the bank’s alarm. Sowinski then fled the scene. The Pittsburgh Police received information that Sowinski was likely the robber in both instances, and on the following day they located him and interviewed him. Sowinski then confessed and admitted that he had been the perpetrator at both banks.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for Sowinski for June 1, 2022. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $50, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.