SCRANTON, PA – The Middle District of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that 30-year-old Damen Drakeford of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a series of bank robberies. United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley delivered the sentence on March 7, 2024, following Drakeford’s guilty plea to four bank robberies across Pennsylvania and New Jersey in July 2023.
Drakeford’s crime spree began on July 7, 2023, with a robbery at Fulton Bank in Netcong, New Jersey, and continued over the following week, including thefts at Provident Bank in Fair Lawn, New Jersey; Fidelity Bank in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania; and M&T Bank in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The series of heists netted a total of $32,988.
The crime wave culminated after the Stroudsburg robbery, with Drakeford leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase that ended in a vehicle crash. He then fled into nearby woods, where he was ultimately apprehended by members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department.
The successful arrest and prosecution of Drakeford were the result of collaborative efforts by local police departments in Fair Lawn and Netcong, New Jersey, the New Jersey State Police, the Stroud Area Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara led the prosecution, marking a significant victory for law enforcement agencies involved.