One bank robber in his 60s has died in custody and his partner in crime, soon to be 73, is almost certain to end up the same way.
Albert Clemons of the North Side was supposed to be sentenced in federal court on Tuesday for robbing a bank in Ross seven years ago with his violent pal, Douglas Silva, but the judge pushed it back until next month so the government can file more paperwork regarding potential sentence enhancements.
Clemons is facing a possible term of more than 28 years as an armed career criminal, meaning he’d die in prison.
His lawyer, Patrick Nightingale, is asking for a little over 21 years in the hopes that his client might someday get out. But that’s unlikely, too, since he still must answer to state parole authorities for two robberies he committed 40 years ago.
“Defendant’s life was a life of crime, but as he nears the end of his life it appears increasingly likely that he, like his co-defendant, will pass away while incarcerated,” Nightingale said in sentencing papers. “Sentencing a 73-year-old man to just shy of 22 years in federal prison, even with time served and earned time credits, will certainly protect the public.”
Clemons will be 73 in June.
Silva, 62 when the pair robbed the bank with guns and led cops on a chase, died March 4 at UPMC Presbyterian in the custody of the U.S. marshals. He had pleaded guilty in 2018 and was supposed to be sentenced that year, but the case was delayed because of changes in the law.
Clemons and Silva had both been set to go on trial in January 2018 but decided to plead guilty at the last minute to armed bank robbery, carrying guns as felons and other crimes.
Both were charged in March 2016 with robbing the First Niagara Bank in Ross, and prosecutors said they had pulled other robberies together.
In the March 2 holdup, they wore ski masks and had pistols. Silva held the tellers at gunpoint while Clemons rifled the drawers and took $10,000. He pointed his gun at a teller, too.
The robbers bolted to their car and made their getaway through residential neighborhoods in Ross. But a witness followed them and called 911.
As the bandits drove into Shaler, police converged and tried to pull over their car. Silva, the driver, refused to stop. After a short chase, Silva did finally pull over. Clemons bailed out and ran into some woods. Cops cuffed Silva without a fight while others chased down Clemons in the woods and ordered him to the ground.
Police recovered two bags nearby with money. A third bag contained a ski mask, a license plate, a sweatshirt and white surgical gloves. Officers also found two handguns in the area.
U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer said she’ll now sentence Clemons May 3.
Torsten covers the courts for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Reach him at jtorsteno@gmail.com.
