Bellows Falls Man Charged with Bank Robbery

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Stephen Loewe, 42, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was charged by complaint with robbing the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield, Vermont, on August 13, 2024. Mr. Loewe had his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon and is currently detained in federal custody. A hearing will be held next Thursday to determine whether he will remain detained pending trial.

According to court records, Mr. Loewe committed a burglary of a Springfield, Vermont store in the early hours of August 13, 2024. Later that morning, he entered an M&T Bank branch in Springfield and demanded cash. Later that afternoon, he entered the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield and demanded $500, stating in a note that it was a robbery. Mr. Loewe then stole a car from a gas station in Springfield. The next morning, on August 14, 2024, he entered an M&T Bank branch in Putney, Vermont, and again demanded cash, this time, $1500. Mr. Loewe was apprehended later that day and admitted to robbing the banks and using the money he stole to purchase cocaine base.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Mr. Loewe faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigative collaboration among the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Vermont State Police, Springfield Police Department, Brattleboro Police Department, Windham County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Assistant U.S. Attorney handling the prosecution is Corinne Smith. The Office of the Federal Public Defender has been appointed to represent Mr. Loewe.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.