KC Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery Conspiracy

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

William H. Parker III, 21, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

Parker pleaded guilty on April 19, 2016, 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.

Parker is the fifth and final defendant to plead guilty and be sentenced for the armed robbery conspiracy and related charges. Isiah G. Etienne, 21, of Blue Springs, and Jeremy Hunter, also known as “Heat,” 26, of Kansas City, were each sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. 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.

Parker, Etienne, Labayen, Martin and Hunter 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.

This case was 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.