Toothless Pa. woman robbed bank to buy dentures

WAYNESBURG, Pa. - A woman who appeared to not have any teeth in surveillance photos from a western Pennsylvania bank robbery last month has confessed, apologized and told police she planned the heist because she needed the money for dentures.

Evelyn Marie Fuller, 49, of Carmichaels, on Wednesday remained in the Greene County Jail unable to post bond on bank robbery and other charges filed Tuesday by police in Waynesburg, where she allegedly robbed the First National Bank on Jan. 20.

Arresting Officer Tom Ankrom said Fuller explained her motives when she confessed to the crime.

"During her confession, she stated she wanted to use the money to pay for dentures she was unable to get through welfare until next year," Ankrom said.

Toothless woman sought in Pa. bank heist

Fuller allegedly handed a note to a teller saying she had a gun and asking for an undisclosed amount of money. During the entire robbery, she kept her head down and didn't talk. Because she was not wearing dentures, Chief Tim Hawfield said "her lower face appears to be collapsed on itself" according to Observer-Reporter of Washington, Pa.

Police distributed a surveillance photo of the toothless robber, and an unnamed witness came to police and told them he had loaned Fuller the coat the suspect was seen wearing in the picture. The man told police Fuller returned the coat because the zipper didn't work, and police said it matched one the robber's wearing in the picture.

At her arraignment Tuesday, Fuller told a district judge she has mental health problems and lives on disability benefits, the Observer-Reporter of Washington, Pa. reported Wednesday.

After her arraignment, Fuller told a reporter, "I'm very sorry for what I did and I know God is going to punish me for it," before explaining that her pastor told her to tell the truth about what she did.

Police said they are continuing to investigate the matter to see if she had any accomplices, including a driver who may have had knowledge of what she was trying to do.

[debrq]

I can understand that. I may have to rob a bank to pay for my wife's crowns.

[itgranny]

I posted something like this before but it's not showing up. Where do they think this woman will get a job? With her mouth sunken in, i rather doubt that she could even get a job at Walmart. Plus, if she were to get a job, is it going to be the kind of job where she can afford to tuck money away to get a $2500-$5000 set of dentures? This is what really bugs me about the system. Instead of throwing a bit more money up front to truly fix something, they pittle around and don't really make anything better.

[maiingan]

This illustrates one of the injustices of medical aid offered to people who can't afford private insurance. A patchwork of programs with many missing pieces across the country provides medical care to many, but typically doesn't include routine vision and dental care. The county I live in will only pull teeth; no preventive care or even filling cavities. No vision care - not even screening for glaucoma. These are serious problems even for people who are mentally healthy and not about to rob a bank for the needed money to pay for this needed care on their own.

[commenter777]

A baby boomer friend of mine that's not sure if he has enough for retirement says that if he finds out he doesn't have enough, he'll try robbing a bank to get the money back that the mortgage fraudsters cost him, then if he gets caught at least he'll have a roof over his head, room, board, medical, and dental. I think prison will be the retirement for a significant number of boomers who lost money because of the mortgage fraudsters, who are not even being prosecuted. The big banks still have your money and mine.

[commenter777]

This woman is going to get years in prison and the banking/rating establishment that committed mortage fraud and cost us all so much are not even being prosecuted, because they have too much money to be prosecuted. What they did is much worse than what this woman did. Equal justice? If that's the law then the law is an as*.

[mecanik-2009]

This woman is mentally ill. She needs help not prison time.

[Devlyn13]

LOL are you kidding me. she is a idiot who got caught is is manipulating everyone. I have issues and god will never forgive I am so sorry but I am disabled well become able and work like everyone else does and you will be able to buy pretty much what you want .

[Bouillabaisse]

Devlyn13 is clearly one of those compassionate conservatives we hear so much about. I bet he's a church-going Christian too.

[Oh-Pin-Yun]

Well now she will have brand new dentures while in Federal Prison. Mission Accomplished!

[Oh-Pin-Yun]

Well now she will have brand new dentures while in Federal Prison. Mission Accomplished!