Man indicted in series of robberies

Staff report

Cleveland

A grand jury in Cleveland indicted a Canton man on six counts of bank robbery, including the July robbery of the Huntington Bank in Liberty.

Benjamin G. Gates, 33, also is charged with robberies in Canton, North Canton and Cuyahoga Falls, all of which occurred between July 2 and Aug. 16, according to Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland office.

“Our law-enforcement partners are to be commended for bringing an end to this wave of bank robberies,” Dettelbach said in a press release.

Anthony credited the partnership with the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and residents of northern Ohio.

“Subsequent to the media’s rapid release of key information, the public provided invaluable leads resulting in the arrest of Benjamin Gates,” Anthony said in the release.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, Mahoning and Stark County sheriffs’ offices, Liberty, Canton, North Canton Jackson Township and Cuyahoga Falls police Departments.

The matter was presented for indictment by Linda H. Barr, assistant U.S. attorney.