A federal jury has convicted Frank L. Morrison, 58, of Braddock Hills, Pennsylvania, for robbing a bank in Ohio County. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced the verdict following a two-day trial.
Morrison was found guilty of the crime that took place on September 4, 2018, at United Bank in Elm Grove. Wearing a mask, he demanded money from two tellers and escaped with over $4,200. Surveillance footage showed him discarding his mask and other items into a nearby dumpster. Investigators retrieved these items and confirmed Morrison's identity through DNA evidence.
Morrison has an extensive criminal record with previous convictions for armed bank robbery, robbery, and access device fraud. He is currently serving an 87-month sentence due to federal firearms convictions in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
“Frank Morrison has made a living committing crimes throughout the region, but his criminal career is now over,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “We will seek a sentence that will keep Mr. Morrison behind bars for the rest of his life so that he can no longer terrorize the public.”
Morrison could face up to 20 years in federal prison for this conviction. The United States plans to request that this sentence be served consecutively to his current term.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton Reid and Carly Nogay represented the government in prosecuting the case.
The investigation involved several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West Virginia State Police, and Wheeling Police Department.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided over the trial.