Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty in Bank Robbery Involving Hatchet
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 22, 2013 |
KANSAS CITY, KS—A Kansas City, Misouri man has pleaded guilty in a case in which an Overland Park bank was robbed by a man with a hatchet, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Derek T. Brownlee, 35, Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery. A criminal complaint filed in July alleged Brownlee was wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a hatchet on July 1, 2013, when he robbed the Metcalf Bank at 7800 College Boulevard in Overland Park.
The complaint alleged Brownlee jumped the teller’s counter and demanded money. He took cash from a drawer and some personal items from a teller, including a Kindle Fire and a cellular telephone. When police officers spotted his car, he led them on a chase at speeds up to 90 miles an hour before being stopped in the 8700 block of Indiana in Kansas City, Missouri. He was arrested after he fled from the car on foot.
Sentencing is set for January 21. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the FBI; the Overland Park Police Department; the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin for their work on the case.