Cleveland man indicted in connection with three bank robberies

A 22-year-old Cleveland man implicated in three separate, armed bank robberies last January and February was indicted in federal court in Cleveland, according to a June 6 news release from Northern Ohio District U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Aaron Nickerson faces three counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.

The release states that Nickerson is accused of involvement, along with others, in a Jan. 18 robbery at a U.S. Bank branch on Richmond Road in Warrensville Heights, a Feb. 6 heist at Ohio Savings Bank on Richmond Road in Richmond Heights and a third bank robbery on Feb. 20 on Forest Hills Boulevard in East Cleveland.

“This defendant put countless lives at risk when he and his associates used firearms to rob banks,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “We continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prioritize violent crime and prosecute those who harm our community.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Warrensville Heights, Euclid, Richmond Heights and East Cleveland police departments, along with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office Crime Strategies Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.

“If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation,” the federal news release reads. “In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.”