Oct 29, 2014 1 min read

NEW STANTON – A man charged with using a butcher knife to rob a woman at an automatic teller machine in Western Pennsylvania said he committed that crime, but is “mostly” innocent of two similar heists.

Twenty-six-year-old James Stonick, of Herminie, told reporters after his arraignment Tuesday he robbed the woman Sunday night at the drive-thru ATM at the First Commonwealth Bank in New Stanton.

But Stonick said he didn’t commit similar incidents at the same bank on Oct. 1 and 8. Rather, Stonick says, “Someone gave me information that this was an easy way to get money.”

He said others committed the first two robberies and were now trying to “frame” him for those incidents.

Stonick is in the Westmoreland County jail Son charges stemming from Sunday’s robbery. He faces a Nov. 5 preliminary hearing.