Man charged with bank robbery to enter NGI plea

A 22-year-old man who said he robbed a Saukville bank last year after voices in his head told him to get “locked away” will plead not guilty by reason of mental disease to the felony he faces, his lawyer told an Ozaukee County circuit judge Tuesday.

Saukville resident Scott E. Ciamarichello, who according to a criminal complaint drove away from the Kohler Credit Union branch on East Green Bay Avenue in his own car after taking more than $1,000 from a teller, has undergone a psychiatric evaluation that supports a so-called insanity plea, his attorney Anthony Cotton told Judge Adam Gerol during an Aug. 18 hearing, adding that prosecutors will stipulate to the findings of the report. 

Ciamarichello, who turned himself in at the urging of his roommate shortly after the robbery, is scheduled to enter the plea on Sept. 22.  

Presuming he accepts the plea, Gerol is expected to determine how long Ciamarichello will committed to the custody of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, then order a report that will help him decide whether to initially commit Ciamarichello to a secure mental health institution or allow him to be treated and supervised within the community.

Ciamarichello is charged with robbery of a financial institution and is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

According to the complaint, Saukville police officers responded to a bank alarm at the credit union at 4:22 p.m. Dec. 12 and were told by employees that a man wearing a black coat, neck covering and knit hat demanded money from a teller, then left.

Officers quickly identified the man as Ciamarichello by looking at surveillance video.

A teller told officers that Ciamarichello approached him and placed a note on the counter that read, “This is a robbery, don’t make this messy. 100s, 50s and 20s. No marked bills. Don’t say a word, act normal,” the complaint states.

The teller said he showed the note to another bank employee, then gave Ciamarichello money from his cash drawer. He said Ciamarichello put the money in a sling bag, said, “Thanks, bud” and walked out of the credit union office, according to the complaint.

Ciamarichello stole $1,065 in marked and unmarked bills, the complaint states.

After Ciamarichello left, an employee locked the doors and saw him drive away in a white, four-door car.

Surveillance video showed the Chevrolet Malibu and its license plate, which officers traced to Ciamarichello.

The robbery was also caught on video and showed Ciamarichello put the note on the counter and the teller pressed an alarm button under the counter. Officers noted Ciamarichello’s face was visible and he was not wearing gloves, the complaint states.

Shortly after the robbery, officers received a call from Ciamarichello’s roommate, who told them that they were en route to the police station so Ciamarichello could turn himself in.

The roommate said Ciamarichello bluntly told him, “I robbed a bank. I don’t know what to do,” and he convinced Ciamarichello to turn himself in, according to the complaint.

After being arrested, Ciamarichello told officers that about a month earlier he began experiencing mental health problems and wanted to kill himself with the gun he owned. He said voices in his head told him to kill himself or get “locked away,” the complaint states.

Ciamarichello said he devised a plan to get arrested and on the day of the robbery felt numb and heard voices in his head telling him to rob a bank, according to the complaint.

He said he told the teller he did not want to hurt anyone, which is why he wasn’t carrying his gun.

Ciamarichello told officers that he intended to gamble with the stolen money but his roommate talked him out of it. The money stolen from the bank was recovered, the complaint states.