Beaver County man gets nearly 5 years behind bars for robbing 4 banks, CoGo's

A former Beaver County man will spend nearly five years behind bars for robbing four banks and a convenience store of more than $27,000, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Patrick Acierno, 34, who has ties to Freedom, Beaver County, was convicted of the spate of robberies in Allegheny and Beaver counties that happened between September 2018 and March of this year, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said.

His final robbery attempt culminated with a police chase through Franklin Park last spring.

On March 5, Acierno walked into a KeyBank branch on Harmony Drive in Franklin Park wearing a black sweatshirt, black mask, sunglasses and blue latex gloves, prosecutors said. He made off with $7,743 — including eight $20 “bait bills.”

A teller spotted Acierno get into a blue Toyota Rav 4. Franklin Park police tracked down Acierno and found the stolen money, including the marked bills, inside his car.

Acierno also was convicted of four other robberies last year:

• On Sept. 12, Acierno entered a PNC Bank branch along Route 19 in Cranberry with an Adidas duffel bag and made off with $2,474.

• On Oct. 11, Acierno robbed the CoGo’s convenience store on Pennsylvania Avenue in Monaca, Beaver County.

• On Nov. 12, Acierno robbed the West View Savings bank on Brandt School Road in the North Hills of about $4,406.

• On Dec. 5, Acierno walked into a WesBanco branch on Broadhead Road in Monaca and made off with about $11,800.

Acierno wore different clothes and concealed his face and hands at each bank.

Based on the charges, Acierno had faced a maximum possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

U.S. District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose sentenced him to 57 months in prison, just shy of five years, followed by three years on probation.

As part of the sentence, Acierno must pay restitution of $26,423 to the banks and $630 to CoGo’s.