Delaware County Man Sentenced to Over 12 Years for Bank Robbery Spree in Montgomery and Delaware Counties

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that David Charles Hayes, 33, of Sharon Hill, PA, was sentenced to 151 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $43,632 in restitution by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney for robbing nine banks in Montgomery and Delaware counties between April and December 2018.

In November 2019, Hayes pleaded guilty to all nine robberies. He robbed these banks by entering with his face covered, usually with a bandana, hat and sunglasses, and approaching tellers and demanding that money be handed over. In each case, he issued threats to the bank employees he encountered, ranging from physical harm (e.g., “don’t do anything goofy or I will hurt you”) to threats of death (e.g., “if you want to make it home to your kids, don’t push any buttons or try anything”). The defendant stole over $43,000 total during these robberies.

During the commission of one of the robberies, the defendant was given a security dye pack along with the stolen money, which began smoking and released a colored dye when it was removed from the bank. Hayes discarded the dye pack and the gloves he was wearing, and police recovered this evidence, which was tested for DNA. The defendant was found to be match and a warrant for his arrest was issued. He was taken into custody at Sugar House Casino, where he admitted to gambling his robbery proceeds.

“Bank robbery is a serious federal offense that can carry stiff penalties,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “During his crime spree, Hayes threatened many innocent people and now he will pay the price. I want people to know that committing a violent crime in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania carries a tremendous risk of a long prison sentence, which is the point of our new anti-violence public awareness campaign. You can learn more about this campaign on our District website.”

“David Hayes was quite a prolific robber, targeting nine banks in nine months across multiple police jurisdictions,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners were determined to put a stop to his one-man spree. Working together, we were able to take him off the street and see him brought to justice.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Ridley Township Police Department, the Glenolden Borough Police Department, the Sharon Hill Police Department, the Radnor Township Police Department, the Lower Merion Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.