Topeka Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Topeka, Kan., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing a bank in Excelsior Springs, Mo.

Kishahn Lewis, 20, of Topeka, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to the charge contained in a Sept. 20, 2016, federal indictment.

By pleading guilty today, Lewis admitted that he stole $150 from the National Bank of Kansas City, located in Excelsior Springs, on Sept. 12, 2016. Lewis handed a note to a bank teller that demanded money and claimed he had a weapon. The teller complied with the demand by giving Lewis three $50 bills.

According to court documents, a witness saw Lewis run from the bank and through a parking lot before getting into a gray Volvo. Lewis then drove south to 69 Highway. An Excelsior Springs police officer spotted the Volvo as it entered southbound Interstate 35 from 69 Highway and pulled his patrol car alongside Lewis’s vehicle. When Lewis saw the police officer, he immediately exited onto 291 Highway, and then exited that highway. The police officer located the Volvo parked at the intersection of A Highway and 291 Highway but did not see anyone inside the car. The officer passed the Volvo and radioed to other units that the car was abandoned. However, when the officer circled back, the car was gone. A few minutes later, Pleasant Valley police officers located the Volvo and stopped the car at a Quik Trip at Interstate 35 and Pleasant Valley Road.

Lewis was arrested with the demand note and the three $50 bills in his possession.

Under federal statutes, Lewis is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. 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 David Raskin. It was investigated by the FBI, the Excelsior Springs, Mo., Police Department and the Pleasant Valley, Mo., Police Department.