Accused are Steven Goldstein, 52, and Andrew Bickus, 49. Each faces charges of criminal conspiracy, robbery, and receiving stolen property. The store they reportedly robbed is located on Brighton Road in the Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood.

Neither Goldstein nor Bickus posted bail, and they remained in the Allegheny County Jail Thursday night. They will go to court for a preliminary hearing on Monday, April 16th.

Robbery is considered a violent crime in Pennsylvania, so these two gentlemen are facing some serious consequences. As with all violent crimes, there are three degrees of robbery. A third-degree charge is considered to be a lesser charge than first or second-degree, and a first-degree charge is the highest charge.

Even though it’s a lesser charge, third-degree robbery comes with a prison sentence of up to seven years. A robbery charge becomes a second-degree charge when the robber causes bodily injury or makes someone fear bodily injury. The prison sentence that a conviction for this charge triggers is up to ten years.

A robbery charge is considered first-degree if the accused has either caused serious bodily harm to someone, threatened someone with serious bodily injury or intentionally made them fear it, or has committed or threatened to commit any other first or second-degree felony while in the commission of the robbery. A conviction for first-degree robbery triggers a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Robbery goes hand in hand with theft charges, so the men will be facing those, as well.

Theft is not as serious a charge as far as criminal consequences go, but it has the same long-term results. In both cases, a conviction will result in a permanent criminal record. Places, meaning potential employers and housing managers, do criminal background checks nowadays. Having convictions like robbery and theft on one’s record will cause many people to refuse to hire or rent to an individual. No one likes a thief, and they don’t want someone around who potentially could steal from them. These guys are not spring chickens, so the closing of career options might not be such a big deal, but everyone needs housing. And, they could find themselves fired from their current employment if they’re convicted.

The attorneys in this case have several things they can use to defend their clients. For one, if they can prove that no theft was committed, there can have been no robbery, and the charges must be dismissed.

We don’t have details about injuries in this case, but in certain circumstances, if it can be proven that there were no injuries, some charges can be lowered or dismissed. At the least, these gentlemen’s attorneys can try to prove that the accused did not make the victim fear being injured. This can get the robbery case lowered to simple theft.

The final three defense options are used in many criminal cases, and are not limited to robbery charges. If one or both of the attorneys can prove that his client was intoxicated, entrapped, or forced under duress to participate, it can be proven that he was not guilty.

As I said before, the defendants’ lawyers will be working to get their clients’ charges reduced or dismissed. If they can get the robbery charges reduced to simple theft, the penalties are lowered. Depending on the value of the items taken, a conviction for theft can come with fines of between $25 and $1,500 and up to 90 days in jail for a theft of items less than $50 in value, to up to seven years in prison for major thefts, like cars, boats, and airplanes.

Even with lowered charges, these two men face jail time for their actions. I have to wonder if they still think it was worth it.

About the Author

Alex Scioscia is a legal content writer who specializes in producing clear, research-driven articles on criminal defense, DUI law, and related legal topics. His work focuses on helping readers understand complex legal issues and stay informed about their rights throughout the legal process.

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At about 4 pm on November 30th, police were called to Washington Financial Bank at 98 E. Wylie Ave. The robber was already gone by the time the first officer arrived a few minutes later, according to a report filed by city police.

According to a teller, a man approached her window and then opened his wallet, showing her a note that said: "give me all $100s, no dye packs, don’t say anything."

Reportedly, the man presented the note when the teller questioned him. The police report states that the robber told the teller to "just give it all" when she said that she had only a few hundred dollar bills. He indicated to her that she should hurry and remain quiet.

The man left after the teller gave him the rest of the money that she had in her drawer, which included hundred-dollar and fifty-dollar bills. Police don’t know how much he took.

The report states that surveillance footage shows a man in a black hoodie, black baseball cap, dark boots, and black sunglasses coming through the parking lot of the bank. He is described as having a thin mustache and goatee.

The police report as it originally was filed indicated that they had a suspect, but that no one had been charged in the robbery as of Monday morning. However, two days later, the City of Washington Police Department posted on their Facebook page that an arrest warrant had been issued for a man named Francis N. Falcon. Falcon is a white male, age 36, 5’ 7” tall and weighing about 170 pounds.

Falcon is accused of stealing more than $400 from the bank. The arrest warrant was signed by District Judge Robert Redlinger on Wednesday. The last known address for Mr. Falcon is in Morris Township.

It is believed that Falcon left the bank on foot. There is no mention in the court papers of a weapon being in his possession while he was committing the robbery.

Tips as to Falcon’s name were gathered after police posted a picture of the robbery taken from surveillance cameras at the bank. A tattoo that could be seen on Falcon’s neck was matched to one in other pictures that were reviewed by the investigating officer, Lt. Daniel Stanek. Stanek was assisted in his identification by a state parole officer who was supervising Falcon in a previous case.

It seems Mr. Falcon had an accomplice. As part of their investigation, police reviewed footage from two nearby businesses: McCarrell’s Tax Service on Allison Avenue and Neal Funeral Home, also on Allison Avenue. Footage from the surveillance cameras at those two businesses show an older-model Hyundai with paint damage dropping Falcon off, circling the area during the robbery, and then picking him up after. The driver of that vehicle is unknown but is a white man.

Mr. Falcon faces charges of theft, conspiracy, and robbery. No attorney is listed as representing him in court papers.

Now, none of us know what Mr. Falcon’s reasons were for allegedly robbing that bank. Maybe he needed money for his kids’ Christmas. I can tell you, as a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney, that his theft charge is likely a first-degree misdemeanor based on the amount of money he got away with. If no weapon was used, that is in his favor, because once a gun or knife are involved, the charges and penalties are a lot worse. Still, it could be argued that the teller did not know he didn’t have a weapon and feared for her life. I hope for his sake, he hires a good lawyer.

An experienced Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney would be able to identify several defenses that might get Falcon’s charges reduced or dismissed. Certainly, if he had no weapon, that can be used as a defense, though it’s admittedly a weak one. The identification of Falcon as the robber can be called into question, as well, despite the comparison of the tattoo. What technology did investigators use to make sure the tattoos matched? How accurate was the image? These are just two options for defense. A seasoned attorney will be beneficial for Mr. Falcon’s case.

Apparently, Zion Filby, age 18, told police that he went to seven hills convenience with a large knife. He said he demanded money from a clerk.

Police were called at about 6:15 PM to the store which is located in the 300 block of Euclid Avenue. Upon their arrival, a clerk reported that someone had told him to "give me your money" and "give me everything in the register." The suspect had been wearing gloves, a red hoodie, and something over his face, and had waived a knife at the clerk and a customer. He made off with $350.

A tip was received by Detective Michael Ledger while police were at the store. The confidential informant said that Filby was the robber. Ledger was referred by the informant to an unnamed juvenile witness. This witness also named Filby as the person who committed the crime.

Filby was detained at his home on Bernstein Avenue by police, and then brought to the station. Officers read him the Miranda warning, and he gave a confession that matched the details given by the store clerk. Filby said that after the robbery he jumped a nearby creek and went to the laundry room of an apartment complex on Craighead Street to change close. Officers went to that building and found money, clothes, and a bag that matched the descriptions of Filby and the clerk.

Papers filed in court about the incident did not say if police had recovered the knife or the money. Following his arraignment before District Judge Gary Havelka, Filby was held in Washington County jail on $20,000 bond. He has been charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and robbery.

All of the charges this young man is facing are serious. You can’t just go walking into a place and wave a knife around and get away with it. This young man is looking at some serious jail time.

For example, depending on how it’s graded, an aggravated assault charge can come with a prison sentence of twenty years. Mr. Filby would be well into middle age at the end of such a sentence, if he served the entire time. Reckless endangerment comes with up to five years in prison, and armed robbery—which is what Filby did by threatening the clerk and customers with the knife—is a first-degree felony that also comes with a twenty-year prison sentence. If he is found guilty and the judge is merciful, Filby will be able to serve his prison sentences concurrently, which means all at the same time. If he is forced to serve them consecutively, he could potentially be in his mid-sixties when he gets out of prison. I’m not sure that is worth the $350 he came away with.

There are defenses an experienced attorney can use in a case like this. Filby had his face covered, so how did the juvenile know it was him who committed the robbery? Did the juvenile have an ax to grind? Did he name Filby as a way to get revenge? How long was Filby interrogated before he “confessed”? The police are well-known for using any tactic necessary to get a confession, and they’re not particular about who they get it from much of the time. He may have admitted to the crime just to shut the cops up and get them to leave him alone.

There are other defenses, of course, and a criminal defense attorney with the right training will know and use any or all of them in defense of his client.

As a Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney, I see a lot of cases such as this. Everyone has a different reason for their charges, but they really should think through the consequences before they act.