Columbia Standard

John Henry Stack, 76, of Myrtle Beach, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for a bank robbery committed in 2023. At the time of the robbery, Stack was on supervised release from previous federal bank robbery convictions.

Evidence presented by the Government during a two-day jury trial in March established that around midday on March 10, 2023, Stack entered Anderson Brothers Bank in Aynor wearing a blue medical scrub shirt over a black jacket, a winter hat, sunglasses, and a medical-style mask. He placed a pillowcase on the teller’s counter and pulled out a long-handled lighter from his pocket. Concealing the lighter under his hand to resemble a gun, he demanded money from the teller. The teller complied by placing $2,130 in cash into the pillowcase before Stack fled.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement collaborated to identify and apprehend Stack. They identified his vehicle as a Ford Focus with significant passenger side damage. Around 10 p.m. on March 10, an officer with Myrtle Beach Police Department stopped Stack driving this vehicle. A hotel hang tag found on the rearview mirror led officers to discover that Stack had rented a room that afternoon and paid in cash.

A search of both the vehicle and hotel room yielded clothing consistent with what was worn during the robbery, including a blue medical scrub shirt and pillowcases similar to those used at the bank. Authorities also found $765 in cash and a red long-handled lighter.

Following his arrest, Stack confessed to robbing the bank. He detailed how he executed the robbery and explained how he used the lighter to “fake out” the teller into believing it was a gun.

Stack had previously served time for multiple bank robberies in South Carolina and North Carolina before being released in 2022.

“Even after a significant sentence for the same crime, Mr. Stack continued to threaten the safety of the community by committing another bank robbery,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina. “We commend Aynor and Myrtle Beach Police Departments' response and SLED's assistance along with FBI Columbia Field Office.”

“Stack’s actions put innocent lives in harm’s way,” stated Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Columbia Field Office. “This sentence reflects the weight of the crime and should serve as a reminder that such criminal behavior will be met by swift justice.”

Chief Prock highlighted cooperation among law enforcement agencies: “South Carolina local and state law enforcement agencies along with our federal team members continuously show how we work together... This case is an example of effective communication and partnerships.”

Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie presided over Stack's trial and sentenced him to 120 months followed by three years of court-ordered supervision without parole eligibility within federal systems. The Court also ordered restitution payment amounting to $2,130—the sum stolen from Anderson Brothers Bank—emphasizing that Stack violated trust while on supervised release.

The investigation involved Aynor Police Department; Myrtle Beach Police Department; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; FBI Columbia Field Office; Assistant U.S Attorneys Katherine Flynn; Lauren Hummel prosecuted.