Austintown man gets 66 months for bank robberies

YOUNGSTOWN — An Austintown man who robbed three banks over eight days in February will spend 51⁄2 years in prison.

Judge James S. Gwin sentenced Jarrett Drajic, 22, of Roanoke Avenue, today in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

He will also serve three years’ parole and pay $3,158 in restitution.

Drajic pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery in June.

A federal grand jury indicted Drajic in April in the Feb. 10 robbery of Farmers National Bank in East Liverpool and the Feb. 17 robbery of Farmers National Bank in Canfield.

Columbiana police apprehended Drajic shortly after the Canfield robbery.

A third robbery occurred at Citizen Bank in Chippewa Township, Pa., on Feb. 13. Drajic stole about $7,728 from the three banks; $2,270 was recovered.

According to a sentencing memorandum, Drajic has a long-standing drug addiction to heroin, cocaine and other substances that began when he was 10 years old.

Drajic spent most of the money received from the robberies on drugs, according to the sentencing memorandum.