Woman Used Painted Water Pistol To Rob Princeton Bank: Feds

PRINCETON, NJ – The masked woman who robbed TD Bank in Princeton in July last year did so using a painted water pistol, federal authorities said.

Ciara Brascom, 39, of Skillman, was arrested and charged with bank robbery on Tuesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said.

According to court documents, on July 28, 2024, Brascom entered TD Bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller while holding what appeared to be a black handgun.

During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. She then fled from the bank after taking around $60,500.

In September 2024, law enforcement agents interviewed Brascom, who told them certain financial difficulties fueled her desire to rob the bank.

She told authorities that she went to a store to buy an imitation toy gun that looked authentic. When she couldn’t find one, she bought a pack of water pistols and a can of black spray paint, according to court documents.

At home, she spray-painted one of the guns to look real. After the paint dried, Brascom drove to the bank to commit the robbery, authorities said.

Documents reveal she passed a note to the teller, demanding money and asking the person not to call the cops. When there was no money in the teller’s drawer, she accompanied him to the bank vault, according to court documents.

After getting the money, she left the bank through the front door with the money in her hand as she didn’t have a bag, court documents said. Once home, Brascom disposed of the toy gun, the blue hat she was wearing and the note used during the robbery, according to court documents.

Brascom had her initial appearance on Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court.

The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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