Son accused of robbing Pittsburgh bank, mom of covering for him

An Ingram man is accused of an armed bank robbery last January and his mother is accused of knowing about it and trying to protect him, federal prosecutors said.

Brent Richards, 32, is accused by a federal grand jury of robbing the Citizens Bank on Foster Avenue near the Pittsburgh-Ingram border on Jan. 8, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said. He allegedly made off with just over $10,000.

His mother, Melissa Kane, 47, of Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood, is accused in the same three-count indictment of being an accessory after the fact “for helping to protect Richards from apprehension,” Brady said. Further details about Kane’s actions were not available.

The FBI, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office and police from Crafton and West Mifflin cooperated in the investigation.

The case is linked to newly filed criminal charges against Pittsburgh police Officer Antoine Cain, 49, who has been placed on unpaid suspension amid allegations that he repeatedly lied to the FBI during the investigation of the Jan. 8 bank robbery.

Cain “denied any knowledge of the identity of the individual” who robbed the Citizens Bank branch in a July 27 interview, a complaint said.

Investigators say they later learned not only did Cain know who the suspect was, but Richards admitted to Cain that he robbed the bank, according to the criminal complaint. Cain told the same lie July 31, the complaint said.

Cain was charged Tuesday with two counts of making false statements to government agents, court records unsealed Thursday show.. He struck a plea deal with the federal government whose terms have not yet been disclosed.

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha.