Reserve Township bank robbery suspect sentenced to prison

PITTSBURGH — A man accused of robbing a bank in Reserve Township last year will spend time in prison.

The Department of Justice said on Monday, Mark Laughner, 38, had been sentenced for his conviction of bank robbery.

He has been sentenced to serve 70 months in prison and must pay restitution to the bank.

On May 16, officers were called to the Dollar Bank on Mount Troy Road around 2:30 p.m. Police said Laughner entered the bank wearing a baseball cap and neck gaiter that covered his mouth and nose, approached a teller and demanded money.

Witnesses told police Laughner threatened the employee and said he would shoot her if she did not give the cash up quickly.

After he fled the area with $1,370, a nearby school had to be put on lockdown as police looked for him.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Search for bank robbery suspect in Reserve Township puts nearby school on lockdown

Four days later, police caught up to him outside a Pittsburgh fire station.

Officials said he was in a vehicle and tried to drive away before detectives could arrest him, narrowly crashing into two Allegheny County Police Department detectives in the process.

Eventually, he exited the vehicle and ran into the woods near Spring Garden Avenue. Police say they found him hiding in thick brush when they took him into custody.

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