City man pleads guilty to 2017 Northway Bank robbery

CONCORD, N.H. – Aaron Pelchat, 36, of Manchester, pleaded guilty Jan. 19, 2018 in federal court to a 2017 bank robber.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 23, 2017, Pelchat walked into a Northway Bank in Manchester, and handed the teller a note demanding money. The teller gave Pelchat an undisclosed quantity of cash. Surveillance cameras captured images of the robbery which were broadcast on local news outlets. Numerous individuals identified Pelchat from the photographs and he was apprehended the next day, May 24, 2017.

Pelchat is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2018.

“Bank robberies are violent crimes that often can jeopardize the safety of bank employees, customers, and other members of the community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John Farley.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with the law enforcement community to combat violent crimes such as bank robberies.  By combatting violent crime, our goal is to ensure that the citizens of the Granite State feel safe in their local communities.”

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would like to thank the concerned citizens who came forward with information to help identify Mr. Pelchat.  Robbing banks can put innocent lives at risk and we’re lucky Mr. Pelchat was arrested before anyone got hurt,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to do everything we can to make our communities safer.”

This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.