'Nature Dave' Case Coming to a Close

An Easton man accused of causing a disturbance by bringing a "You're Being Robbed" sign to two city banks has applied for the first-time offenders program.

That's according to the Express-Times, which says David Gorczynski will enter the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (also known as ARD) program. 

ARD allows first-time, non-violent offenders to keep their records clean. 

Gorczynski, 23, known as "Nature Dave," was arrested last August while protesting both inside and outside the Wells Fargo and Bank of America branches in downtown Easton.

According to police, he wore a bandanna—at times allowing it to cover his face, District Attorney John Morganelli said -- and carried two signs.

One read "You're being robbed;" the other said "Give a man a gun, he'll rob a bank. Give a man a bank, he'll rob a country."

Gorczynski has said his message wasn't aimed at the bank but rather to its customers: This bank is robbing you.

He was arrested outside the Bank of America—after he'd left after being asked to do so by the manager—and charged with two counts each of attempted robbery, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct.

Morganelli later dropped the attempted robbery charges and has said his office doesn't plan to seek jail time for Gorczynski if he's convicted or pleads guilty.

The robbery charges were dropped, Morganelli said last year, because there was no evidence Gorczynski intended to rob a bank. But he also added that people in the bank had reason to be frightened by a man wearing a bandanna holding a sign that read "You're being robbed."

Defense attorney Phil Lauer has said his client simply chose "an artistic, unusual, maybe annoying way" of protesting.