Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 18 Years’ Imprisonment For Jewelry Store Robberies, Bank Robbery, And Fraud

     The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Senior United States District Court Judge James M. Munley sentenced Kirk Robinson, age 45, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 18 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in two Luzerne County jewelry store robberies, a bank robbery, as well as an insurance fraud scheme. 

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Robinson pleaded guilty in federal court on October 24, 2013, to conspiring with others to carry firearms in relation to the robbery of Steve Hydock Diamonds Jewelry store, Kingston, Pennsylvania, on May 5, 2008, and Dunay Jewelry store, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2008. He also pleaded guilty to the armed bank robbery of the M&T Bank, Hanover Township, occurring on October 30, 2010.  At his guilty plea, Robinson admitted that he planned and acted as a getaway driver in those three robberies.  Additionally, Robinson pleaded guilty to using the mail in a scheme to defraud an insurance company of $43,000.  Robinson admitted that the scheme involved staging a robbery with a confederate and filing a police report wherein he falsely claimed an armed robber stole jewelry from him.

     Judge Munley ordered that Robinson be placed on supervised release for three years following the service of his 18-year prison sentence.  In addition, Judge Munley ordered that Robinson pay restitution in the amount of $150,728 representing the value of money and jewelry stolen during the robberies and fraud scheme.

     The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kingston Police Department, the Hanover Township Police, and the Wilkes-Barre Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Jr. prosecuted the case.