Credit: Evesham police
New papers filed by federal authorities reveal details on a December 2017 bank robbery in Bristol Township.
According to paperwork filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey, Matthew Burney, 43, of Barnegat, New Jersey, walked into the Bank of America in Queen Anne Plaza in Fairless Hills at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 9 during a light snow event.
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He obscured part of his face and wore gloves when he walked up to staff at the bank with what appeared to be a handgun.
“This is a robbery,” he told staff.
“This is not a joke.”
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Burney then pointed his gun at a bank staff member who was standing only a foot or two away. He then forced him to the ground and warned them not to push the alarm or let their phones ring.
Bank workers, according to federal law enforcement, handed over $29,700 in cash and he made off.
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Investigators tracked Burney’s footprints in the fresh snow to the nearby vacant Mobil gas station. At that point, it appeared he got in a vehicle that drove off, authorities said.
Surveillance video was used to link Burney to his dark-colored Hyundai SUV. Images captured in the Deon Square Shopping Center revealed the vehicle’s license plate, law enforcement said.
The day before the Bristol Township robbery, Burney is accused of hitting the PNC Bank in Marlton, New Jersey. He also reportedly told investigators he was responsible for a February 2017 bank robbery in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
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On Friday, December 15, 2017, New Jersey authorities armed with warrants arrested Burney at his place of employment, Jersey Jack Pinball in Lakewood, New Jersey. They also searched his SUV.
A total of $6,188 in cash were found in the SUV, including 57 $100 bills.
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Burney, according to federal authorities, previously was convicted of committing armed bank robberies. Those incidents happened in 2007 in Toms River, New Jersey, and Brick, New Jersey. He was released from custody in 2016 and placed on supervision.
Burney has been in the custody of New Jersey police since his December arrest. He appeared in federal court Tuesday on one count of bank robbery related to the Marlton robbery and was taken into federal custody.
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In Pennsylvania, Bristol Township police have an arrest warrant issued for Burney related to the Fairless Hills bank robbery, according to court records.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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