Serial bank robber sentenced for robbing bank while out on supervised release
June 24 (UPI) -- A 76-year-old South Carolina man on Monday was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being found guilty for a 2023 bank robbery, one of many bank heists he has committed over the years.
John Henry Stack, of Myrtle Beach, robbed the bank in Aynor, Horr County, and was convicted in April.
At the time of the 2023 robbery, Stack was on supervised release from previous federal bank robbery convictions in South Carolina and North Carolina. He was released from prison in 2022.
"Even after a significant sentence for the same crime, Mr. Stack continued to threaten the safety of the community by committing another bank robbery," Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, said in a news release. "We commend the work of Aynor and Myrtle Beach Police Departments in responding to this incident and the assistance of SLED and the FBI Columbia Field Office to bring this defendant to justice."
Steve Jensen, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office, said: "Stack's actions put innocent lives in harm's way. This sentence reflects the weight of the crime and should serve as a reminder that such criminal behavior will be met by swift justice. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, reaffirm our commitment to maintaining public safety and upholding the rule of law."
Unlike in state court, there is no parole in the federal system. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie also ordered three years of court-ordered supervision and $2,130 in restitution -- the amount he stole from the bank.
The prosecution, during the trial, said around midday on March 10, 2023, Stack entered the Anderson Brothers Bank in Aynor wearing a blue medical scrub shirt over a black jacket, a winter hat, sunglasses and a medical-style mask.
He placed a pillowcase on the teller's counter, and pulled a long-handled lighter from his pocket to suggest he was armed with a gun. The teller placed $2,130 in cash in the pillowcase, and Stack took the money and left the bank.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement worked together to identify and apprehend the suspect.
They found the vehicle the robber drove to and from the robbery -- a Ford Focus with significant passenger side damage.
At about 10 p.m. on March 10, an officer with Myrtle Beach Police Department stopped the Focus driven by Stack. On the rearview mirror of the Focus was a hang tag for a nearby hotel.
Law enforcement searched the Focus and the hotel room and found clothing consistent with that worn by Stack during the robbery. Included was $765 in cash.
Stack confessed to law enforcement that he robbed the bank.
