Fifth Defendant Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy to commit several armed robberies at restaurants in the metropolitan area.

William H. Parker III, 21, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to participating in the conspiracy to commit armed robberies, to one count of armed robbery and to one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.

Four co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the armed robbery conspiracy and to related charges. Mikah M. Labayen, 20, of Blue Springs, was sentenced to six years in federal prison without parole. Renargo L. Martin, 46, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Jeremy Hunter, also known as “Heat,” 26, of Kansas City, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Isiah G. Etienne, 21, of Blue Springs, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2016.

Parker, Labayen, Martin, Hunter and Etienne each admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to rob several fast food restaurants in the Kansas City area in the fall of 2014. Parker, Labayen and Etienne were employed at a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs. Using their knowledge of procedures commonly used by such establishments, conspirators would wait until the end of a business day, and then rob restaurants by waiting until an employee opened a door to take trash out of the premises. They rushed the door to gain access, and then forced the manager or shift supervisor to give them access to the restaurant’s safe. Conspirators threatened restaurant employees with an assault rifle in order to force their cooperation.

Conspirators robbed a Chipotle restaurant in Lee’s Summit, Mo., on Nov. 3, 2014, taking $1,600; a Burger King restaurant in Independence, Mo., on Nov. 10, 2014, taking $914 and again on Nov. 30, 2014, taking $565; and a Chipotle restaurant in Blue Springs on Nov. 16, 2014, taking $6,800.

Following these robberies, Parker, Etienne and Labayen were captured after an attempted robbery of a motel.

Under federal statutes, Parker is subject to a sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a consecutive sentence of at least seven years in federal prison without parole for the firearm offense. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.