NY Man Tries to Rob 3 Banks With Toilet Plunger

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on April 17, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Would you ever rob a bank with a plunger? How about three? Banks, that is.

Didn't think so. Nonetheless, authorities in Utica, New York have arrested Lawrence Deptola, 49, and charged him with attempted third-degree robbery. He's accused of spending last Thursday afternoon robbing banks with a plunger.

Fortunately, no one was hurt and no money was taken. Though, some bank employees may be never be able to plunge again.

Just before responding to a call from Key Bank, the Utica Observer-Dispatch reports that officers received calls from two others. They each reported a strange man wielding a plunger and demanding money. Employees of Key Bank claim the man, now known to be Lawrence Deptola, also threatened them with a plunger and screamed obscenities.

For our pleasure, local news station WKTV has broadcasted a surveillance photo of Deptola holding the offending weapon:

Soon after this photo was taken, Deptola led officers on a chase. They first “chased him around the Bank of America ATM,” according to the paper, but soon lost sight. They eventually tracked him — and the plunger — down. It was found at a Citizen’s Bank.

Now, you may think that robbing a bank with a plunger is a ridiculous idea. It’s not. From a legal standpoint, a plunger is probably one of the best weapons you could use to rob a bank. Guns and knives are deadly weapons and could lead to aggravated, more serious charges. A plunger? Offensive, but not exactly deadly.

Well, not unless someone like Lawrence Deptola uses the handle like a baseball bat.

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