Suspect in fatal credit union robbery pleads not guilty

Richard Leon Wilbern pleaded not guilty to a fatal credit union robbery in 2003 in U.S. District Court in Rochester, N.Y., Friday.

Last September, the FBI and federal prosecutors announced they solved the cold case with DNA evidence taken from the robbery scene on Aug. 12, 2003 at the former Xerox Federal Credit Union branch in Webster, N.Y., which is now the $969 million Xceed Financial Credit Union based in El Segundo, Calif.

Wilbern was arrested and charged with credit union robbery that resulted in the death of Raymond Batzel, who was a member of Xerox FCU. Another member, Joseph Doud, was also shot and injured but survived.

If convicted, Wilbern will face a life in prison sentence. Last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office decided not to seek the death penalty.

 

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