Parents take plea in bank robbery case
Jun. 18—BUFFALO — A Grand Island couple have pleaded guilty to charges, in U.S. District Court in Buffalo for their roles in a bank robbery committed by their son.
Cheryl A. Mulvey, 68, and Lawrence Mulvey, 67, entered their pleas to a charge of accessory after the fact. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison, and a fine of $125,000.
They are the parents of Timothy L. Mulvey, 33, who was convicted in federal court of aggravated bank robbery for holding up a pair of local banks. Mulvey was accused of robbing the Northwest Savings Bank, located at 2300 Grand Island Blvd., on June 27, 2018 and the M&T Bank, located at 880 Military Road in the Falls, on July 11, 2018.
Prosecutors said that during both robberies, Mulvey displayed a weapon "in a threatening manner."
According to a grand jury indictment, on July 12, 2018, the day after the second robbery, Mulvey destroyed his cellular telephone. On July 13, Mulvey told FBI agents that on the day of the M&T robbery, he was in Rochester for work and that his cellular telephone was electronically wiped by his employer.
Federal prosecutors said that between mid-July 2018 and March 2019, Mulvey, along with his father, Lawrence, and his sister, Kelsey, destroyed a black gun in order to prevent it from being used as evidence in the case. After destroying the gun, prosecutors said Timothy Mulvey persuaded another person to throw the weapon, which had been in the basement of the Mulvey home, into a dumpster.
Mulvey and his mother, Cheryl Mulvey, were accused of then encouraging that person not to cooperate with law enforcement agents. Prosecutors said both Timothy and Cheryl Mulvey instructed the person to tell law enforcement officers that they were drunk when they were initially interviewed by authorities in July of 2018.
Cheryl Mulvey was also accused of "testifying falsely and evasively" about whether she spoke to her son about the bank robberies, about whether her son had possession of a black gun, refusing to testify and concealing information about whether her daughter found BB pellets in her brother's vehicle, concealing information about a gun that was delivered to her residence in July 2018 and attempting to undermine the credibility of a witness."
Cheryl A. Mulvey, was originally charged with obstruction of justice, conspiracy to tamper with a witness and tampering with a witness.
Lawrence Mulvey, was originally charged with with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice, accessory after the fact and making a false statement.
Prior to being charged in connection with the bank robberies, Kelsey Mulvey, a former nurse at the Roswell Park Cancer Center, was separately charged in an indictment with illegally obtaining controlled substances by fraud, tampering, and violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
She is currently awaiting sentencing for her plea to tampering with a consumer product.
"Notwithstanding his parents' efforts to cover for him, Timothy Mulvey was apprehended, convicted of aggravated bank robbery, and is awaiting sentencing," United States Attorney for the Western District of New York James P. Kennedy Jr. said.
