An 86-year-old man known in media reports as the “flying bank robber” was denied a chance at parole Tuesday, meaning he’ll continue a prison sentence that began two decades ago.
Frank L. Sprenz was convicted in 1996 on charges of aggravated burglary and involuntary manslaughter, earning a prison sentence of 25 to 50 years in prison. Sprenz was accused of paying Ramon Wright, then 26, to “scare” a prostitute from whom he was extorting money. The woman, Kay Westfall, 36, and Jessica Bittner, 15, died in 1995 of smoke inhalation after Wright set fire to their Akron home.
Wright is serving a prison sentence of 70 years to life on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and burglary in relation to the deaths of Westfall and Bittner, and the injury of Bittner’s stepmother, who was hurt in the fire but survived.
Sprenz, a career criminal, made the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list at one point. He led an escape from the Summit County Jail in 1958 and was on the run for more than a year. In that time, he used 35 aliases and stole 29 cars and three airplanes — including one plane he used to flee a bank robbery.
This week, Sprenz went before the Ohio Parole Board and was denied parole.
Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said Sprenz will not be eligible for parole again until July 2020.
“Frank Sprenz has not shown any remorse or taken responsibility for what happened,” Walsh said. “He is a life-long criminal and needs to remain in prison.”