NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man who armed with a firearm and a fake bomb when he robbed banks in Virginia Beach and State College, Pennsylvania was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 41-year-old Marquis Larosa Buckley robbed a Fulton Bank as well as a PNC Bank in Virginia Beach last year. Buckley made off with more than $9,500 between the two robberies.
Prosecutors said Buckley also stole more than $7,000 in cash from a SPE Federal Credit Union in State College.
Virginia Beach police said a shot was fired at the ceiling during the PNC Bank robbery, which only caused minor damage to the building. A teller at the bank put a GPS device in the money, which allowed law enforcement to track down Buckley and 34-year-old Austin Lee Howard.
Prosecutors said the two had planned to rob the bank in October of 2017. Howard was seen on security cameras walking into the bank the day before the robbery, in order to familiarize himself with the layout of the bank, the security and locations of the tellers and officers.
Buckley entered the bank the next night wearing a disguise, and pulled out a gun and demanded money from the tellers. He then dropped what looked like an explosive device on the floor.
Authorities said it was later determined the device was a hoax bomb.
Buckley used a fake bomb as well as a firearm to “enhance his threats” and divert the attention of law enforcement while he got away in each of the three robberies.
Howard was sentenced to 15 years in person back in July.
