Woman convicted of bizarre plot to rob bank using 'pizza delivery boy'... with a bomb around his neck



Guilty: Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 61, was convicted today of masterminding a bizarre plot to get a pizza delivery man to rob a bank wearing a metal bomb collar



A 61-year-old woman has been convicted of masterminding a bizarre plot to get a man dressed as a pizza delivery man to rob a bank wearing a metal bomb collar.

Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong of Erie, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of armed bank robbery, conspiracy and using a destructive device in a crime of violence for bank robbery.

The explosive neck brace was worn by Brian Wells, 46, and exploded shortly after the heist.

The plot of the robbery was so convoluted it would have been turned away by many Hollywood directors for being too far-fetched.

The jury deliberated for 12 hours on Friday and part of today before reaching their verdict to convict Diehl-Armstrong.

Wells walked into a PNC bank in August 2003 with the collar bomb around his neck. Dressed as a pizza delivery man he escaped with $8,702 but was stopped by police shortly after.

They handcuffed him while they waited for a bomb squad to arrive, but before they got there, the bomb exploded, killing Wells.

Prosecutors later revealed that they believed the crime had been plotted by five people.

They said that Wells was in on the plot at first but probably didn't realise until the last moment that his life was in danger.

Diehl-Armstrong and three other men were also involved. One has since died of cancer, another was killed by Diehl-Armstrong and the third pleaded guilty and testified against her.

Defense attorney Douglas Sughrue argued that Diehl-Armstrong's mental disorders and a hostile relationship with at least one of the plotters made it unlikely she participated.



In expletive-filled testimony over two days, Diehl-Armstrong acknowledged knowing two other plotters - but denied knowing Wells - and argued they were all framing her.

Kenneth Barnes (left) is serving 45 years in prison for his role in the plot and William Rothstein (right) was accused of making the bomb collar used in the heist



William Rothstein, was a handyman and substitute science teacher who prosecutors say constructed the bomb collar using two egg timers supplied by Diehl-Armstrong. He has since died of cancer.

Kenneth Barnes, 57, pleaded guilty and is serving 45 years in prison. He testified that Diehl-Armstrong planned the heist because she wanted to use the money to pay Barnes to kill her father.

Diehl-Armstrong is serving seven to 20 years after pleading guilty, but mentally ill, to killing her live-in boyfriend James Roden, 45, but said she killed him because he was abusive.

U.S. Attorney Marshall Piccinini contended that Diehl-Armstrong killed Roden more than two weeks before the robbery because he was in on the plot and threatened to reveal it.

Heist: Brian Wells died in 2003 when the metal bomb collar he wore during the bank robbery exploded



Diehl-Armstrong argued with her attorney Mr Sughrue throughout the trial, claiming he wasn't asking questions to properly let her spell out her story.



Mr Sughrue defended her behavior in light of the grisly allegations, telling the jury in his argument before the verdict: 'Your job's not to like her or invite her over for dinner or have a birthday party for her.'

After the verdict, Diehl-Armstrong took a parting shot at her lawyer.



She had whispered to Mr Sughrue if she could keep the $1,200 worth of clothes he had purchased for her court appearances and the lawyer said he would 'take care of' it.

'Like you took care of this case that you didn't do your job on?', she responded loudly.

'There'll be an appeal, that's all I have to say', Diehl-Armstrong yelled before U.S. Marshalls led her from the courtroom.

Attorney David Hickton said the verdict was the result of 'thousands of hours of difficult and painstaking work by our law enforcement partners and this office'.

Diehl-Armstrong faces a mandatory life sentence when she is sentenced on February 28.

The long term is driven by her conviction on the armed bank robbery charge and because the heist resulted in Wells' death.