Joplin Woman Indicted for Attempted Bank Robbery

SPRINGFIELD, MO—David M. Ketchmark, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Joplin, Missouri woman was indicted by a federal grand jury today for attempted bank robbery after she walked up to a bank’s drive-thru window and demanded money.

Anna Lee Turner, 50, of Joplin, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Turner on October 11, 2012.

Today’s indictment alleges that Turner attempted to rob the U.S. Bank branch located at 2801 E. 32nd Street in Joplin, on October 5, 2012.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Turner walked up to the bank’s drive-thru teller window and placed a plastic bag and a note demanding $100 bills in the teller’s tray. After reading the note, the affidavit says, the teller dropped to the floor and alerted other bank employees. A co-worker activated the bank’s alarm system. Turner was pounding on the glass to get the teller’s attention as the teller was crawling away from the drive-thru window, according to the affidavit. Joplin Police officers arrived and arrested Turner as she was walking away from the bank.

Ketchmark cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the FBI and the Joplin, Missouri Police Department.

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available online at http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html.