Armed With Black-Painted Water Pistol Somerset Co. Woman Robs Bank: U.S. Attorney

SKILLMAN, NJ — A Somerset County woman was arrested and charged in connection with a bank robbery where she spraypainted a water pistol and threatened a teller in Princeton in July 2024, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced Tuesday.

Ciara Brascom, 39, of Skillman, is charged with one count of bank robbery. She had her first appearance on Feb. 11, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.

On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a TD Bank at 883 State Road in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun, according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court.

During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank's alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking around $60,500, said authorities.

On Sept. 24, 2024, authorities interviewed Brascom who "described certain financial difficulties, which fueled her desire to rob the bank," said police.

Brascom said that during the morning of the robbery she went to a store to purchase a toy gun that look authentic to use during the robbery but couldn't find any. Instead, she said bought a pack of water pistols and a can of black spray paint, according to her arrest complaint.

She went home and "sprayed one of the guns with the black paint to make it look more realistic," according to the complaint.

Brascom faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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