Scranton Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bank Robbery

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Senior United States District Judge A. Richard Caputo sentenced Lee Meyers, age 23, formerly of Scranton, to serve 42 months in prison for his role in committing an armed bank robbery.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Meyers previously entered a guilty plea before Senior Judge Caputo and admitted to his involvement in an armed bank robbery, which occurred on May 17, 2012, at the First Liberty Bank and Trust on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. Another individual, Micheal Massey, age 23, also of Scranton, has also entered a guilty plea in which he admitted to participating in the same bank robbery. After the commission of the robbery, Meyers and Massey were apprehended by the Pennsylvania State Police in Crawford County on May 27, 2011, after leading police on a high-speed vehicle chase.

In addition, Senior Judge Caputo ordered that Meyers be supervised by a probation officer for three years after serving his prison sentence. Meyers was also sentenced to pay restitution in the amount of $15,089.

United States Attorney Smith noted that Micheal Massey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24, 2012.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Pennsylvania State Police; and the Scranton Police Department. U.S. Attorney Smith noted that the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara.

Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Attempted Internet Enticement of a Minor

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 34-year-old Moscow man was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Richard P. Conaboy to 11 years in federal prison for using the Internet and a cell phone to attempt to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, John Swenski previously admitted that he attempted to persuade and entice a minor to meet him in Scranton for illicit sexual purposes. Federal agents arrested Swenski in January 2010 when he arrived at a location for the purpose of meeting with the minor child.

Swenski was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2010 following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Scranton Police.

Judge Conaboy also ordered Swenski to serve a life term of supervised release following his prison sentence, to pay restitution in the amount of $4,060, and pay a special assessment of $100. Swenski must also undergo sex offender treatment and comply with sex offender registration requirements.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.

Lackawanna County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Internet Enticement of a Minor

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 33-year-old Moscow man pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. Blewitt to using the Internet and a cell phone to attempt to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, John Swenski admitted that he attempted to persuade and entice a minor to meet him in Scranton for illicit sexual purposes. Federal agents arrested Swenski in January 2010 when he arrived at a location for the purpose of meeting with the minor child.

Swenski was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2010, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Scranton Police.

The plea agreement in the case calls for Swenski to be sentenced to 132 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Sentencing will be scheduled after a pre-sentence report is completed by the United States Probation Office. Swenaki remains detained in prison pending sentencing.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa.