'Silent Bandit' Sentenced to Federal Prison

A 43-year-old Bethlehem man admitted to robbing six banks over a two-week period in April 2012, including the PNC Bank located inside the Warminster Shop Rite.

A man who went on a two-week bank robbing spree last year, which included the PNC Bank in the Shop Rite supermarket in Warminster, has been sentenced to almost six years in federal prison, the Express-Times reports. Fawzi Atra, 43, from Bethlehem Township, told Judge James M. Munley that he performed the robberies because he needed the money to pay back unemployment compensation that had been overpaid to him by the state government, according to the Express-Times. Atra admitted to six robberies between April 3 and April 19, 2012, totaling $9,688, an amount that the judge ordered Atra to pay back to the banks. The Express-Times reports that the institutions hit by Atra include: The FBI dubbed Atra the Silent Bandit by his quiet demeanor …

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Warminster Then & Now

Then & Now: Warminster Town Center

Big changes took place on this stretch of Street Road in less than 20 years.

There were lots of changes on Street Road, compared to the photograph taken in 1996 and one taken today. The large open area has since been turned into a shopping center that features Shop Rite, Kohl's and PetSmart. Some may bristle at the land development, but it should be noted that there are no unoccupied commercial spaces at the center. The older photograph was contributed by Stephen Leggett, a member of the "I Grew Up in Warminster" Facebook group. We are still looking for photos from other parts of Warminster, and we need your help.  If you enjoy this feature and have any vintage photos of Warminster, you can either post them here, or e-mail them to James.Boyle@patch.com.

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FBI: Suspected 'Silent Bandit' in Custody

The FBI believes that an attempted bank robber arrested on Thursday is the same man responsible for five similar incidents, including one in Warminster on April 11

CBS Philadelphia reports that the FBI believes they have the so-called "Silent Bandit" bank robber in custody. A man was arrested Thursday after he attempted to rob the East Stroudsburg Savings Association Bank in Stroudsburg. Investigators told CBS Philadelphia that they believe he is the same man who robbed at least five other banks since April 3, including the PNC Bank in the Warminster Shop Rite on April 11. According to the FBI, the robberies occurred at banks located inside grocery stores. The subject is described as an olive skin male in his late 40s or early- to mid-50s; 5-feet, 6-inches tall with a medium build; and having short black or dark hair and a bushy mustache. He drove a silver sedan or coupe. He has been called the …

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Shop Rite Bank Robber Suspected of Five More Incidents

The FBI has dubbed the suspect 'The Silent Bandit.'

The man who robbed the PNC Bank located in the Warminster Shop Rite has struck three more banks since the April 11 incident, according to an alert issued by the FBI. His most recent heist happened this morning at a PNC Bank in Flemington, N.J., NBC 10 reports. Surveillance photos posted by the law enforcement agency show a similar looking man robbing another PNC Bank in the Shop Rite in Hopewell, N.J., on April 14 and a QNB Bank inside the Giant grocery store in Richland on April 17. The three new incidents brings the tally to six bank robberies attributed by the FBI to the man dubbed "The Silent Bandit." He also hit KNBT Bank at the Giant grocery store in Bethlehem on April 3 and a PNC Bank at the Shop Rite in Marlton, N.J. According to …

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European American

7:52 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012

thats really funny   more ›

Update: PNC Bank Inside Shop Rite Robbed

The suspect may be involved in similar incidents in Bethlehem and Marlton, N.J., according to the FBI.

The PNC Bank branch located inside Shop Rite of Warminster was robbed Wednesday afternoon, causing the supermarket to close for about an hour as police investigated the scene. At approximately 1:30 p.m., the robber entered the bank brandishing a weapon and presenting a threatening demand note to the teller. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, he fled the bank in what authorities believe to be a light silver or gold sedan with a rounded back. The FBI describes the suspect as a white male, late 40s to early 50s, 5’6” tall, with dark hair and mustache. He was wearing a tan baseball-style cap and a dark jacket. He may also be responsible for bank robberies that occurred earlier in the month in Marlton, N.J., and in Bethlehem. The …

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