Bank Robberies

By MARLO BARNHART and BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writers WILLIAMSPORT - A customer who watched a masked man rob the American Trust Bank in Williamsport Monday followed the robber out of the building and gave investigators detailed information that led to two arrests minutes later, authorities said. It was the ninth bank robbery in Washington County this year. Two brothers were charged in connection with the robbery, which occurred at about 12:20 p.m. at the 14 W. Potomac St. location.

By JULIE E. GREENE and BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writer HALFWAY - An off-duty state trooper spotted a car in Frederick, Md., Monday morning that led authorities to two men they believe may have robbed the American Trust bank on Virginia Avenue earlier in the day, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Michael Scott O'Brien, 19, and Robert Hines, 22, were arrested less than an hour after the crime, deputies said. Both were charged with robbery, felony theft, conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit theft.

HAGERSTOWN - The Washington County Sheriff's deputy who relinquished his service weapon to one of two masked robbers Monday has worked for the department's patrol unit for about a year, Sheriff Douglas Mullendore said Tuesday afternoon. Deputy Scott Beckley was the first officer on the scene of Monday afternoon's robbery at the M&T Bank branch at 930 Dual Highway. When Beckley confronted the masked robber, the man pointed a shotgun at the deputy and told him to give up his gun, investigators said.

BALTIMORE - A 33-year-old Hagerstown man was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for robbing a bank in Hagerstown, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday. Jerry Jenkins took three bundles of $1,000 from Fidelity Bank on Virginia Avenue on March 11, 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Jenkins gave $100 to a friend to pay off a debt, and he used some of the other money to buy crack. He was arrested a few days later, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Based on his prior conviction, Jenkins was found to be an armed career criminal, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

The Washington County Sheriff's Department was looking for a man who held up the M&T Bank branch at 13409 Pennsylvania Ave. on Saturday at noon, according to a sheriff's department press release. Police said the man sat in the bank's waiting area for several minutes while other customers completed transactions with tellers. He then went to one of the tellers, pulled a handgun and demanded money, police said. The man took an undisclosed amount of cash and left through the bank's rear entrance, running into a shopping center on North Pointe Drive, police said.

By MARLO BARNHART Staff Writer Michael Shawn Clark pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court Tuesday to a Nov. 13 armed robbery of a bank and use of a handgun in a crime of violence. Initially the 31-year-old Hagerstown man pleaded not guilty and a jury was chosen to hear the case of the robbery of the Hagerstown Trust Co. branch at 19922 Jefferson Boulevard. Clark's attorney, Carl Creeden then tried to convince Judge John H. McDowell that the trial should be moved out of Washington County because of pre-trial publicity.

A man suspected of robbing Fidelity Bank at 17708 Virginia Ave. Friday afternoon was in custody Friday night, according to Sgt. Roy Harsh of the Washington County Sheriff's Department. The man was taken into custody without incident at Motel 6 near Valley Mall. Harsh said the man was not immediately charged. Some of the money was recovered, Harsh said. The bank was robbed about 1 p.m., Harsh said. No weapon was involved, and no one was injured. The man handed a note to a bank teller that said no one would get hurt if the employees cooperated, Harsh said.