By Barbara A. Preston | Posted Feb. 11, 2025
A Montgomery Township woman accused of robbing TD Bank in Princeton in July with a toy gun and getting away with more than $60,000, now faces federal charges, authorities said.
Ciara Brascom, 39, of the Skillman section of Montgomery, was charged with one count of bank robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey said on Tuesday. She had her initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.
Brascom had entered the TD Bank at the Route 206/Princeton Avenue intersection on July 28, 2024, brandished a gun (which turned out to be a painted water pistol) and handed a teller a note demanding cash, the FBI and Princeton Police had said.
The FBI had released the above photo of the TD Bank robber. She was wearing a blue medical face mask, a blue hat with a white logo, and red glasses. The image was captured by a surveillance camera at the bank.
Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that the TD Bank teller had given her $60,500 in cash. She simply walked away after the robbery, down a busy highway, police said.
Following an extensive investigation led by Princeton Detective Daniel Chitren, the suspect was identified as Brascom. She lived within walking distance to the bank.
The TD Bank on the border of Princeton and the Skillman section of Montgomery Township.
The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to the court. Read the complaint here.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
