Serial bank robber convicted of robbing bank while on probation

June 24 (UPI) — A 76-year-old South Carolina man was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted of a 2023 bank robbery, one of several bank heists he committed over the years.

John Henry Stack, of Myrtle Beach, robbed the bank in Aynor, Horr County, and was convicted in April.

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At the time of the 2023 robbery, Stack was on probation following previous federal bank robbery convictions in South Carolina and North Carolina. He was released from prison in 2022.

“Even after receiving a significant sentence for the same crime, Mr. Stack continued to threaten the safety of the community by committing another bank robbery,” said Adair F. Boroughs, United States Attorney for the District of Carolina South, in a press release. “We commend the work of the Aynor and Myrtle Beach Police Departments in response to this incident as well as the assistance of SLED and the FBI Columbia Field Office in bringing this defendant to justice.”

Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Columbia Field Office, said, “Stack's actions put innocent lives in danger. This sentence reflects the weight of the crime and should serve as a reminder that such criminal behavior will be punished by rapid justice. The FBI, along with our local, state and federal partners, reaffirm our commitment to maintaining public safety and upholding the rule of law.

Unlike state courts, there is no parole in the federal system. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie also ordered three years of court supervision and $2,130 in restitution – the amount he stole from the bank.

The prosecution, during the trial, said that around noon on March 10, 2023, Stack entered the Anderson Brothers bank in Aynor wearing a blue medical gown over a black jacket, a winter hat, sunglasses and a medical style mask.

He placed a pillowcase on the cashier's counter and pulled a long-handled lighter from his pocket to suggest he was armed with a gun. The teller placed $2,130 in cash in the pillowcase, Stack took the money and left the bank.

Local, state and federal law enforcement worked together to identify and apprehend the suspect.

They found the vehicle the thief was driving to and from the robbery – a Ford Focus with extensive damage to the passenger side.

On March 10 around 10 p.m., a Myrtle Beach Police Department officer stopped the Focus driven by Stack. On the rearview mirror of the Focus was a hangtag pointing to a nearby hotel.

Law enforcement searched the Focus and the hotel room and found clothing matching those worn by Stack during the robbery. The amount included was $765 in cash.

Stack admitted to law enforcement that he had robbed the bank.