Federal Charges Filed in Overland Park Bank Robbery

KANSAS CITY, KS—Federal charges have been filed alleging a 35-year-old man armed with a hatchet robbed a bank in Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Derek T. Brownlee, 35, Kansas City, Missouri, was charged with one count of bank robbery. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, alleged that on July 1, 2013, Brownlee robbed the Metcalf Bank at 7800 College Boulevard in Overland Park. Wearing a bandanna over his face and carrying a hatchet, he jumped over the teller’s counter and demanded money. He took cash from a drawer and some personal items from a teller, including a Kindle Fire and a Samsung cellular phone, before fleeing the bank.

When officers from the Overland Park Police Department and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department spotted his car, he led them on a chase at speeds up to 90 miles per hour. Brownlee stopped his car in the 8700 block of Indiana in Kansas City, Missouri, and fled on foot. He was arrested by officers from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI, the Overland Park Police Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department 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.