Sovereign Bank

A former Hagerstown man serving 20 years for two bank robberies was in Washington County District Court Monday, having sued another bank for not preventing a woman from emptying his bank account. David Zeller, 59, formerly of the Dagmar Hotel, filed a claim against PNC Bank alleging it failed to properly monitor his account after he was incarcerated. He told District Judge Mark D. Thomas that unauthorized withdrawals from his account had been made, including withdrawals from automatic teller machines in Colorado.

PHILADELPHIA - Sovereign Bank has launched its sixth annual holiday book drive in partnership with Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy by making books a routine part of pediatric care. Titled the Sovereign "Book Bank," the book drive campaign is an opportunity for members of local communities to give back to children in need through the gift of reading. Collection boxes for children's books are at all of Sovereign's 650 community banking offices throughout the mid-Atlantic and New England regions, including locations in Washington County and Franklin County, Pa. Customers are asked to donate new and gently used books for children ranging in age from 6 months to 5 years old. The Reach Out and Read program model is based on research showing a connection between the frequency of sharing books with babies, toddlers and young children and enhanced language development.

A Washington County Circuit judge Tuesday sentenced a Hagerstown man to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty previously to robbing the same bank two times in two weeks. David Courtney Zeller, 58, formerly a resident of the Dagmar Hotel on Summit Avenue, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St. on March 9 and March 23, 2010. Sentencing by Judge Donald E. Beachley was delayed at the time to allow a hearing to determine if Zeller was criminally responsible for his actions.

There is no question that David Courtney Zeller robbed the same bank twice in two weeks, but it will be up to Washington County Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley to determine if the Hagerstown man is criminally responsible for his actions. Zeller, 57, formerly of the Dagmar Hotel, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St., on March 9 and March 23, 2010. At the time, Assistant State's Attorney Brett Wilson said the state was seeking a prison sentence of as much as 20 years.

The Hagerstown Police Department is searching for a man wanted in connection with a Thursday afternoon bank robbery at Sovereign Bank near the Hagerstown Commons shopping center off Edgewood Drive near Dual Highway. The robbery was reported at the bank at 140 Paul Smith Blvd. at 2:28 p.m., Lt. Tim Wolford said. The robber didn't display a weapon, and no one was injured during the robbery, he said. Wolford described the robber as black, and wearing a black hat backwards and a large gray shirt and blue bandanna.

HAGERSTOWN -- Sept. 25 was an up-and-down day for Hagerstown's downtown. The city launched a comprehensive marketing and economic development program called Hagerstown Advance. The same day, Sovereign Bank filed to collect more than $2.7 million from two loans to Demcore Development President Mike Deming and his father, Clyde F. Deming III. Seven weeks earlier, The First National Bank of Mercersburg filed to foreclose on 28 S. Potomac St. The bank said the Demings owed more than $3 million on two notes.

Washington County Circuit Court Judge Donald E. Beachley last week found David Courtney Zeller criminally responsible for robbing the same bank twice last year, according to court documents. Zeller, 58, formerly a resident of the Dagmar Hotel, had pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St., Hagerstown, on March 9 and March 23, 2010. At the time of his plea, Assistant State's Attorney Brett Wilson said the prosecution was seeking a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

What has happened to our country? To the editor: Could someone please tell me what has happened to the people of this once great nation? Somewhere along the line we have lost a handle on every value this nation was founded upon. We have become greedy and self-centered. Kindness has been replaced by rudeness and carelessness. Mistrust is running amuck. We let politicians lie to us, Republican and Democrat alike. We give our children over to a socialistic educational system.

The Board of Advisors of Leadership Hagerstown awarded graduation certificates to Class XVIII on June 15, according to Mary Anne Burke, director. Those who successfully completed the program are: Lenora L. Barnhart, Health@Work; Stuart W. Bass, City of Hagerstown; Karen A. Beck, First Data Corp.; Terry L. Chrisman Jr., Volvo Powertrain North America; Rodney G. Everett, Master Roofers Inc.; William E. Forrest, Martin's Pharmacy No. 104 ; Barbara A. Gaver, Hagerstown Trust Co.; Kevin G. Gilbert, The Herald-Mail; Kelly P. Gillispie, Callas Contractors Inc.; Neal R. Glessner, Glessner Alarm & Communications; Robert E. Goetz Jr., Susquehanna Bank; Cheryl Gouker, Citigroup; David W. Hankinson, Washington County Commissioners; Clyde E. Harrell, Washington County Public Schools; Cindy Kalkbrenner, Humane Society of Washington County; Christopher A. Kerns, Associated Engineering Sciences Inc.; Micheal C. Line, Sovereign Bank; Tanya A. Mayer, Hagerstown Community College; Kathleen McCann, St. Vincent Care Center; Shelby H. Penn-Ross, Edward Jones Investments; Sandra E. Pollack, Antietam Healthcare Foundation; Kathy C. Saxman, Washington County Community Action Council Inc.; Nicole D. Twigg, Head Start of Washington County Inc.; Kathy Valentine, Wright Gardner Insurance.

A former Hagerstown man serving 20 years for two bank robberies was in Washington County District Court Monday, having sued another bank for not preventing a woman from emptying his bank account. David Zeller, 59, formerly of the Dagmar Hotel, filed a claim against PNC Bank alleging it failed to properly monitor his account after he was incarcerated. He told District Judge Mark D. Thomas that unauthorized withdrawals from his account had been made, including withdrawals from automatic teller machines in Colorado.

With Sovereign Bank closing its 100 W. Washington St. branch on March 2, Washington County officials are interested in moving additional county offices to that building, according to County Administrator Gregory B. Murray. The bank leases space from the county in the downtown Hagerstown building known as the County Administration Building, at the intersection of West Washington and Jonathan streets, diagonally across from the Washington County Courthouse. According to a notice posted on the bank's door, the West Washington Street branch will close at 3 p.m. March 2 and all accounts will be transferred to Sovereign Bank's Longmeadow branch at 1591 Potomac Ave. “It's still within close proximity for customers,” Sovereign Bank spokesman Bryan Hurst said of the Longmeadow branch.

A Washington County Circuit judge Tuesday sentenced a Hagerstown man to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty previously to robbing the same bank two times in two weeks. David Courtney Zeller, 58, formerly a resident of the Dagmar Hotel on Summit Avenue, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St. on March 9 and March 23, 2010. Sentencing by Judge Donald E. Beachley was delayed at the time to allow a hearing to determine if Zeller was criminally responsible for his actions.

F&M Trust   CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Mary Cordell recently was promoted to commercial services relationship manager at F&M Trust.    Cordell has more than 20 years of banking experience, including commercial, small-business and retail banking. Her banking career began at Citicorp Credit Services as a senior credit analyst. She was community banking manager at Sovereign Bank prior to joining F&M Trust in 2007 as a management trainee in the bank’s credit area of commercial services.

Washington County Circuit Court Judge Donald E. Beachley last week found David Courtney Zeller criminally responsible for robbing the same bank twice last year, according to court documents. Zeller, 58, formerly a resident of the Dagmar Hotel, had pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St., Hagerstown, on March 9 and March 23, 2010. At the time of his plea, Assistant State's Attorney Brett Wilson said the prosecution was seeking a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

There is no question that David Courtney Zeller robbed the same bank twice in two weeks, but it will be up to Washington County Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley to determine if the Hagerstown man is criminally responsible for his actions. Zeller, 57, formerly of the Dagmar Hotel, pleaded guilty in November to two counts of robbing the Sovereign Bank at 100 W. Washington St., on March 9 and March 23, 2010. At the time, Assistant State's Attorney Brett Wilson said the state was seeking a prison sentence of as much as 20 years.

HAGERSTOWN -- A man charged with robbing the same downtown Hagerstown bank twice last month has been scheduled for trial in August. David Courtney Zeller, 57, appeared Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court. Zeller in March waived his right to a preliminary hearing in District Court. He made his initial appearance Tuesday in circuit court before Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley, who set the trial date for Aug. 10. Zeller is charged with robbing the Sovereign Bank branch at 100 W. Washington St. on March 9 and 23, according to court records.

HAGERSTOWN -- Sept. 25 was an up-and-down day for Hagerstown's downtown. The city launched a comprehensive marketing and economic development program called Hagerstown Advance. The same day, Sovereign Bank filed to collect more than $2.7 million from two loans to Demcore Development President Mike Deming and his father, Clyde F. Deming III. Seven weeks earlier, The First National Bank of Mercersburg filed to foreclose on 28 S. Potomac St. The bank said the Demings owed more than $3 million on two notes.

Woman, man arrested in Franklin Co. robberies FREDERICK, Md. -- Investigators from the Maryland State Police and the Frederick County Sheriff's Department working together to investigate a pair of bank robberies in Frederick County were led to Prince George's County, where two suspects were arrested, according to a news release. Carlos Williams, 28, of 7858 Blue Bird Lane, Alexandria, Va., and Denise Smith, 37, of 6810 District Heights Parkway, District Heights, Md., face charges including armed robbery, robbery and theft over $500, according to a joint press release from the police departments.

Authorities are looking for a man who robbed M&T Bank at 17724 Garland Groh Blvd. on Friday morning, according to a Hagerstown Police Department press release. No one was injured and no weapons were displayed in the 11:03 a.m. robbery, police said. The man entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash. After the man received the money, he fled on foot across the parking lot toward Wal-Mart, police said. The robber was described as white and in his late 20s or early 30s, police said.