A Pittsburgh man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison following his conviction for bank robbery, according to an announcement from Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
Mark Laughner, 38, received a sentence of 70 months in prison from United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon on September 4, 2025. The court also ordered Laughner to pay restitution to the bank.
Court documents show that on May 16, 2024, Laughner entered a Reserve Township bank wearing a baseball cap and neck gaiter covering his face. He instructed the teller to hand over all large bills and threatened to shoot her if she did not comply quickly. After receiving $1,370 in cash, he left the scene. Surveillance footage and witness interviews led to his identification.
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Laughner. On May 20, 2024, they attempted to arrest him outside a Pittsburgh fire station. As police approached with emergency lights activated, Laughner switched seats in the vehicle and drove away in reverse at high speed. He narrowly missed two detectives before abandoning the car and fleeing on foot. A police K-9 unit located him hiding in dense brush.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted the case.
The investigation was conducted by the Allegheny County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates efforts among law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021, focusing on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement actions, and evaluating outcomes through measurable results. More information about this program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
