BOSWELL —
A Westwood-area man accused of robbing a Davidsville bank of more than $13,000 at gunpoint will stand trial in Somerset County.
Dion Blair Wilt, 39, of Healy Lane, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Susan Mankamyer of Boswell.
Conemaugh Township police alleged that Wilt is the man who robbed the First National Bank branch at 110 Main St. on Sept. 10.
Police said the robber wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, white gloves, jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, white tennis shoes and a bandanna across his face.
The robber entered the bank, pulled a gun and ordered everyone to the floor before jumping over the counter and ordering tellers to hand over cash. He ran out a side door.
“It was a very aggressive incident,” District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser said. “I talked with some of the folks at the bank. I’m sure they were terrified.”
Three tellers and a customer who were inside the bank were not injured, police said.
Police are still searching for the stolen money and the handgun used by the robber, township Detective Michael Popma said.
Wilt faces multiple charges including robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.
Authorities believe Wilt also robbed the AmeriServ Financial branch at 110 Plaza Drive in Lower Yoder Township four days earlier.
In that incident, West Hills Regional police said the robber wore a stolen Halloween mask and got away with more than $4,000 from the bank at gunpoint on Sept. 6.
As he fled, the robber dropped some of the cash, which was later recovered, police said.
“I think our case in Somerset is stronger as far as the identification,” Lazzari-Strasiser said. “The surveillance pictures of the defendant I think are better.”
Defense attorney Kevin Rozich of Johnstown said the identity of the bank robber is not certain.
“That’s something that will have to be addressed in common pleas court, not here at the preliminary hearing,” Rozich said.
After the AmeriServ robbery, police said people who know Wilt called them after seeing the robber’s photograph in the newspaper.
Wilt was ordered to stand trial for the AmeriServ holdup after a preliminary hearing Sept. 28.
He is being held in the Cambria County Prison on $350,000 bond in that case.
Bond was reduced to $50,000 from $150,000 in the First National Bank robbery.
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