A Syracuse man was sentenced to seven to nine years in prison on Wednesday morning for robbing the Chase Bank branch near Syracuse University while on parole for an earlier bank robbery.

Mark Evans, 55, of 120 Gifford St. pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and third-degree robbery — both felonies — on April 17.

On Wednesday, County Court Judge Anthony Aloi sentenced Evans to five years in prison for the burglary charge plus five years of post-release supervision. Aloi also sentenced Evans to two to four years in prison for the robbery charge. The two sentences will run consecutively, or one after the other.

Prior to his sentencing, Aloi asked Evans if he had anything to say. Evans, wearing a tan jail uniform and seated in a wheelchair, apologized to his victims.

“I would like to say I’m sorry to the people I did what I did to,” Evans said.

Syracuse police arrested Evans on Aug. 17 after he took a taxi to the Chase Bank at 649 S. Crouse Ave. and then slipped a note to a teller demanding money, police said. After he robbed the bank, police said Evans got back into the taxi. An officer spotted Evans downtown and tased him after he tried to get away. Money from the bank was found on him, police said.

In a separate case, Evans also admitted in April to burglarizing a home in DeWitt on Aug. 15, two days before robbing the Chase Bank.

Evans has served prison time for three prior felony and two misdemeanor convictions. Police said Evans was paroled for a prior bank robbery not long before he robbed the Chase Bank branch. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s website shows Evans has been in and out of prison since the 1980s.

In addition to his time in prison, Evans was also told to pay a $325 surcharge and a $50 DNA charge for each sentence, for a total of $750. His attorney Robert Lis asked for and was granted a deferral on the payments until Evans is out of prison.

After he was sentenced, Aloi told Evans “don’t let this happen again” to which Evans nodded.

Lis told Aloi that his client would not be appealing.

Published on May 7, 2014 at 10:55 am

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