Disbarment For Bank Robbery
The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney convicted of bank robbery and related offenses.
His capture began with the police following footprints in the snow that led to his brother’s tattoo parlor.
From the Disciplinary Review Board report
Respondent pleaded guilty to an…information charging him with bank robbery, simple assault, and terroristic threats. The latter two charges were based on respondent’s statement to the bank teller, during the robbery, that he had a gun, and the money should be placed in a blue bag “quickly and naturally so that everyone would be safe.”
At respondent’s June 6, Honorable Raymond L. Hamill, 2013 plea hearing before the President Judge, the District Attorney recited the facts, as follows:
Your Honor, on February 20, 2013 around 1:50 p.m. there was a bank robbery at the Citizen Savings Bank, 335 Willow Avenue, Honesdale Borough, Wayne County. The defendant came in, handed the cashier a hand written robbery note demanding cash and indicated that he had a gun and a partner outside. He was handed $2,420.00 in cash, and he fled the scene. On that same day at about 5:30 p.m. he went to Cordaro’s Restaurant and obtained a taxi cab. He went to Dover, New Jersey, in that taxi cab and paid the taxi cab driver $160.00 in cash and gave her $20 [sic] tip. On March 13, 2013 the defendant gave a written mirandized confession to the bank robbery.
The attorney had no record of prior discipline but
Aside from respondent’s unblemished ethics history, we can discern no mitigating factors. In aggravation, however, we note that respondent placed people in fear of serious physical harm — and perhaps even death. Like the Court, in our view, “[s]ome criminal conduct is so utterly incompatible with the standard of honesty and integrity that we require of attorneys that the most severe discipline is justified by the seriousness of the offense alone.” In re Hasbrouck, ~, 152 N.J. at 371- 372. Here, too, the severity of respondent’s crime requires nothing short of disbarment. We so recommend.
Wayne Independant covered the arrest.
Witnesses outside the bank said upon exiting the bank the suspect ran southbound on Willow Ave., crossed the road and ran onto Old Willow Ave. Surveillance video was viewed at Rent-E-Quip, a business located at 416 Old Willow Ave. Footage shows the suspect running southbound on Old Willow Ave at approximately 1:52 pm. Responding Pennsylvania State Police officers assisted with the investigation and a PSP officer located a single set of shoeprints off the left side of the roadway near 461 Old Willow Ave., approximately 200 yards south of Rent-E-Quip. Said shoeprints were in the snow and they led upward into a wooded area. Said prints were followed through the wooded area. The prints led to a side door of a business on Grandview Ave. that being a tattoo parlor at 164 Grandview Ave. The shoeprints were later photographed and measured and appear consistent with a 9-1/2 size.
Pennsylvania State Police officers entered the tattoo parlor business, which was open at the time, and made contact with a Steven R. FRENCH. A photo of him was taken and the investigation continued. Shortly thereafter FRENCH went to Cordaro’s Restaurant 186 Grandview Avenue and then obtained a Maple City Taxi Cab and was taken to Dover, New Jersey. FRENCH paid $160.00 cash for the cab fare and a $20.00 tip.
On February 22, 2013 Bill French, owner of the tattoo parlor, and brother of Steven R. FRENCH, was interviewed by Honesdale PD. Bill French related that he picked up his brother from New Jersey on February 17, 2013 and brought him to his apartment, located in the rear of his tattoo shop, on Grandview Ave. Bill said FRENCH stayed with him until February 20, 2013 when FRENCH abruptly left the apartment without saying good bye to Bill and returned to New Jersey. Bill advised that he was missing a pair of black winter gloves, a pair of brownish colored sneakers-type shoes size 9-1/2, a green-colored cloth tote bag and several plastic grocery bags. Bill said he is not missing any money. Bill was asked if he keeps rubber gloves at his business and he related that he does. It was also noted that Bill had plain 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper in his business for his fax machine.
On February 22, 2013 a photograph line-up consisting of eight photographs, including a photograph of FRENCH, were shown to the bank teller. After reviewing the line-up, the teller positively identified Steven R. FRENCH as the person who robbed the bank.
On February 23, 2013 a contractor, who was working in the apartment at the tattoo parlor on February 20, 2013, was interviewed. He advised that on February 20th when he arrived for work at 7:30 am FRENCH and Bill were there. He then went into the basement to work. Between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm he related that he came upstairs into the apartment and noticed that FRENCH was not there. He went back downstairs to work and at approximately 3:30 pm, when he was finished working, he went upstairs into the apartment. At that time he noticed FRENCH had returned and he appeared sweaty and flustered. On February 26, 2013, Honesdale PD was supplied with a copy of a handwritten letter that FRENCH wrote to his sister a few years ago. The handwriting on the letter appears very similar to the handwriting on the bank robbery note.
(Mike Frisch)