Mom of convicted Crafton bank robber pleads guilty to helping him, covering up crime

The mother of a convicted bank robber pleaded guilty in federal court for helping her son and attempting to cover up his crime, federal prosecutors said.

Melissa Kane’s son, Brent Richards, stole just over $10,000 from the Citizens Bank at 31 Foster Ave. in Crafton last year. He pleaded guilty to the crime in June.

Richards used a BB gun to rob the bank on Jan. 8, 2018.

According to prosecutors, Richards pointed the gun at two tellers, placed a white bag on the counter and demanded the tellers empty their drawers. He stole $10,003, and, as he was leaving, stated: “Sorry, Happy Holidays.”

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said following the robbery, Kane, 48, allowed her son to stay at her residence, got rid of the clothes he wore during the robbery and the BB gun, denied any knowledge of the robbery, and got in a physical altercation with her son’s former girlfriend, who she believed would tell investigators about the robbery.

Kane’s on-and-off-again boyfriend, Antoine Cain, also was charged in connection to the crime.

The former Pittsburgh police officer pleaded guilty in March to lying to FBI agents about not knowing Richards. FBI detectives said they interviewed Cain twice in 2018, and he said he didn’t know Richards. When approached a third time by detectives, Cain admitted that he did.

All are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.