East Hills man who robbed 3 banks of $32K gets 8 years in prison; must repay $4K

A Pittsburgh man who robbed three banks of more than $32,000 during a two-month crime spree has been sentenced to eight years in prison, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Derek Hanner, 30, of the city’s East Hills also must pay $4,000 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said.

As part of his guilty plea, Hanner confessed to four bank robberies in December 2016 and January 2017 — including two that took place at the same Brentwood Bank on Library Road in Bethel Park. Hanner made off with $12,470 from the bank during one robbery and pocketed $4,000 in the other.

Hanner also robbed two Citizens Bank branches in Pittsburgh. He made off with about $8,200 from the Citizens Bank on Wharton Street in the city’s South Side and $8,000 from the branch on Centre Avenue in Shadyside.

A federal grand jury indicted Hanner in April 2017. His initial charges carried a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the 96-month prison term, which will be followed by five years of parole.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung prosecuted the case with help from the FBI and police from Pittsburgh and Bethel Park.