Jun 25, 2002 By Christine Haines 4 min read

FAIRCHANCE – A magistrate set bond at $200,000 cash Monday during a preliminary arraignment in Fayette County for a suspected kidnapper and robber from Washington County. Timothy Michael Green, 37, of 126 Arnold Ave., Strabane, faces numerous charges in Washington and Fayette counties related to an alleged crime spree from May 29 through his arrest early Thursday.

Green is suspected in four bank robberies in Washington County, a gas station robbery in Bentleyville, a robbery at the Jackson Farm Dairy in Redstone Township and the kidnapping of a McClellandtown man early Thursday morning.

Charges have been filed in Washington County for the gas station robbery and two of the bank robberies, with a total of $8,628 reported stolen. The only money found on Green at the time of his arrest was $200 he allegedly had forced kidnapping victim John Sismondo to withdraw from an automatic teller machine Thursday night, according to South Strabane Township Police Sgt. Walter Alrutz, who has filed charges against Green in two of the bank robberies.

“He was apparently driven by an extreme crack cocaine habit. The only money on him at the time of his arrest was from the home invasion,” Alrutz said. “We’re pretty certain all the money’s gone.”

Green told District Justice Randy Abraham that he had a juvenile record and that his only adult arrests were for drunken driving and for writing bad checks.

“Are you addicted to any drugs or alcohol?” Abraham asked.

“I decline to answer that,” Green responded.

Although Green made no statements in court Monday other than to answer direct questions from Abraham, Alrutz said he was more talkative during his arraignment Friday in Washington County.

“He expressed in the courtroom relief that it was over, that no one was injured and remorse for having alarmed anybody,” Alrutz said.

Green told Abraham he was employed by Ramp Construction, but is now unemployed.

Pennsylvania State Police and officers from the Preston County, W.Va., Sheriff’s Office captured Green Thursday morning behind a barn in Preston County. State police had followed Green from the Hopwood area after spotting the red Jeep Sismondo had reported stolen.

“There was a hunting rifle in the Jeep, also a kitchen knife, and in another vehicle there was a handgun,” state police trooper Scott A. Krofcheck said.

The .25-caliber handgun was found in a car, owned by Jeffrey Carl Stewart, that Green drove to Sismondo’s ex-wife’s house in California Borough to get Sismondo’s Jeep. The hunting rifle, the handgun and the kitchen knife all were taken from Sismondo’s home.

“No weapon was displayed at any of the bank robberies,” said Wells Morrison, the special agent in charge of the Charleroi FBI office.

Morrison said he will meet with Washington County District Attorney John Pettit, Canonsburg and South Strabane Township police and the U.S. Attorney General’s office to determine if federal charges should be filed against Green for the four bank robberies. At present, Green faces only state charges.

Redstone and Bentleyville police will act separately for the robberies in their territories, according to Lt. Harvey Cole, the Uniontown station commander.

On Monday, police filed charges of kidnapping, unlawful restraint, robbery, theft by unlawful taking, burglary, terroristic threats and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the incident early Thursday at Sismondo’s residence. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m. before District Justice Brenda Cavalcante.

The charges filed Friday before District Justice William Pelkey in California included two counts of theft and two counts of robbery related to the June 8 and June 11 robberies at the Northwest Savings Bank inside Wal-Mart in South Strabane Township and the June 16 robbery of the Amoco in Bentleyville. Pelkey set bond at $200,000 cash for the bank robberies and $100,000 cash for the Amoco robbery. A hearing is scheduled for Washington County Central Court July 3, but most likely will be continued until authorities decide if federal charges will be filed.

“The other departments that have other charges. I’m sure they’ll be filing those charges soon,” Cole said.

Green is being held in the Washington County Jail.

“In waiving the extradition, he made a request that he be lodged in the Washington County Jail instead of the Fayette County Jail, and to keep the extradition going, we honored that,” Cole said.