Man's role in Laughlintown bank robbery blamed on heroin addiction
A Rillton man's heroin habit drove him to help a female companion rob a Laughlintown bank last year, according to his attorney.
Justin William Buckholz, 27, on Friday told a Westmoreland County judge he “made a mistake” when he drove the getaway vehicle in the Jan. 6, 2015, robbery of First Commonwealth Bank along Route 30 in Ligonier Township.
“I wish the victims were here so I could apologize,” Buckholz told Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio during his sentencing hearing. “I'm just asking for some mercy.”
Buckholz pleaded guilty Dec. 17 to conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property.
Bilik-DeFazio told Buckholz his addiction was no excuse for robbing the bank and she pointed out police likely saved his life when they arrested him. She sentenced him to the same sentence another judge gave his female accomplice — one year less a day to two years less two days in jail. Because the sentence is less than two years, the county will retain jurisdiction over the cases.
Police said Buckholz was the driver when Heather Dempsey, 32, went into the bank and handed a teller a note demanding money. She claimed to have a weapon but didn't show one, police said.
Dempsey made off with $1,642 and the two headed east on Route 30 in a white Chevrolet Cavalier until it crashed at the entrance to the Wal-Mart store along Route 31 in Somerset Township.
State police arrested them at the store.
Buckholz's attorney, Jay Kober of Greensburg, said his client developed a “brick a day” heroin habit after he could no longer obtain prescription narcotics for an undisclosed injury.
“When you are a 50-bag a day addict, you would sell your soul to get one bag,” Kober said. “He was in the throes of addiction. In a weird way, it's probably good he was stopped not long after this crime was committed.”
Kober said the pair planned to purchase heroin with the stolen money. He speculated they could have overdosed that night.
None of the three employees who were in the bank during the robbery appeared in court to give victim-impact statements. Assistant District Attorney Pete Caravello handed Bilik-DeFazio a letter from the victims, but it was not read aloud in court.
“The victims are upset,” Caravello said. “They didn't expect this kind of thing to happen. It's something they have to think about every day they go to work.”
Buckholz's jail term is to be followed by two years' probation. With credit for time served, Buckholz was to be paroled on Friday to home electronic monitoring.
In February, Judge Debra Pezze sentenced Dempsey, who entered guilty pleas as part of a plea bargain.
The pair are to split $1,642 restitution to the bank.
Liz Zemba is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-601-2166 or lzemba@tribweb.com.
