Two Men Sentenced for 2020 Bank Robbery in Crow Wing County

Two Twin Cities men have been sentenced for robbing a bank in Crow Wing County in 2020.

On Tuesday, John Thomas Paciorek II, 52, of Minneapolis was sentenced to 90 months, or seven-and-a-half years, in prison in U.S. District Court for his role in the armed robbery of Deerwood Bank in Garrison. James Richard Ardito, Jr. 52, of Fridley was sentenced last August to 58 months in prison.

According to court records, on July 24th, 2020, the two men drove to the bank, where Paciorek stayed in the vehicle while Ardito hid in the bushes outside until an employee arrived to open the bank. Ardito then pointed a replica firearm at the employee, demanding they open the bank and disable the security system.

Ardito then demanded money from the teller drawers. He was given $402 in cash and then fled the scene, with Paciorek driving the getaway vehicle.

The robbery was caught on surveillance video, and law enforcement were able to identify Ardito, who later confessed to his and Paciorek’s roles in the robbery after being apprehended. Law enforcement then learned Paciorek was the owner of the getaway vehicle and were able to place him at the scene of the crime using location data from his cell phone.

The investigation of the case conducted by the FBI and the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.