Evans City Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing NexTier Bank in Zelienople

PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Evans City, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a bank robbery charge, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Chad Vaughan, 33, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was informed that Vaughan robbed the NexTier Bank, located at 226 South Main Street, in Zelienople, on October 23, 2018, of $2,065.00. Vaughan was dressed in all black, including a ski mask and gloves, and demanded “big bills” from the bank tellers. After receiving money from the tellers, he placed the money into a shopping bag before and ran out of the bank. An eye witness observed Vaughan getting into a Ford sedan, which law enforcement later located and searched. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement found the same black clothing, ski mask and gloves worn by Vaughan when he robbed the bank. Vaughan admitted, during the hearing, that before he robbed the bank, he used his cell phone to search the internet for “what is the jail time for a bank robbery” and “how easy is it to rob a bank.” A few days after the bank robbery, Vaughan also admitted that he searched for and viewed an article on a local news website about the NexTier Bank robbery.

Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2020, at 2:15 PM. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, 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. Vaughan remains incarcerated pending sentencing.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Borough of Zelienople Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.