Two Charged in Prairie Village Bank Robbery

KANSAS CITY, KS—Two Kansas City men have been charged with an Oct. 21, 2011, robbery of a Prairie Village bank, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Joshua J. Parker, 19, Kansas City, Mo., and Dennis E. Bowen, 40, Kansas City, Mo., are charged with one count of bank robbery in a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.

The complaint alleges that about 2:26 p.m. a black male robber dressed as a female entered the U.S. Bank at 6940 Mission Road. The robber pushed a customer aside, jumped up and sat on the counter, and said: “I’m back.” The teller recognized the robber as the same person who robbed the back on Aug. 23, 2011. The robber took money from the teller and ran from the bank.

Officers of the Prairie Village Police Department pursued a white Chrysler Sebring spotted near the bank. The car stopped near West 65th Street and Overbrook after police blocked its path. Wearing nothing but black shorts and socks, Parker jumped from the front passenger seat and ran north through back yards to a creek bed where he was apprehended. Bowen, who was driving, was arrested at the car. Police recovered currency floating in the water of the creek bed.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Prairie Village Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Martin is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.