Pasadena Bank Robber Who Used Fake Bomb Sentenced

PASADENA, MD — A Pasadena man who failed in his first attempt to rob a bank, and used a fake bomb in the second, has been sentenced to prison. Steven Murn, 50, of Pasadena, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for armed bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. He was also ordered to pay $1,210 in restitution.

According to information presented to the court at his plea and sentencing hearings, on Aug. 19, 2016, Murn attempted to rob a bank in Pasadena. Murn entered the bank wearing a wig and a baseball cap and carrying a bag. He went to the check-writing station in the lobby, then to a teller station. Murn placed his bag on the teller counter and said “C’mon!” The teller said, “No.” Murn grabbed the bag, left the bank, and ran away.

On Aug. 29, 2016, Murn robbed a bank in the 8100 block of Jumpers Hole Road in Pasadena. That time he wore an orange safety vest over a T-shirt and a hard hat with a towel draped beneath it, and carried a bag. After writing a note on a deposit slip that read, “Bomb all money now please,” Murn gave the teller the note, placed a fake bomb on the counter in front of a teller station, and demanded money. The teller opened the cash drawer and Murn reached over the counter to grab bundles of cash.

He then left the bank and drove away in his car, which was parked nearby. He was arrested the next day in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, Murn assaulted a Pennsylvania State Trooper at the time of his arrest in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and threatened to kill the officers. Murn was later taken to the hospital, complaining of chest pain, where on Sept. 3, 2016, he attempted to disarm an officer by grabbing his pistol and holster from the officer’s duty belt. The officer struggled with Murn to recover the weapon.

Later that day while being taken to the Franklin County Jail, Murn kicked out a window of the van and attempted to wriggle out of the van through the window.

U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III ordered that Murn’s federal sentence run concurrent to the remaining sentence Murn is serving in Pennsylvania for attempted escape, disarming an officer, and making threats to the police.

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