Two Men Indicted for Robbing the First State Bank of Bigfork in Kelliher

MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court, two men from northern Minnesota were indicted in connection with the December 10, 2012 armed robbery of the First State Bank of Bigfork, located in Kelliher, Minnesota. Cody Lowell Troy, age 19, of Mizpah, and Travis Michael Burns, age 20, of Bemidji, were charged with one count of armed bank robbery. In addition, Troy was charged with one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on December 10, 2012, the defendants stole approximately $3,738 from the bank while putting the lives of others in jeopardy by brandishing a 12-gauge, sawed-off shotgun. In addition, authorities assert that the shotgun’s serial number was partially obliterated.

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, an individual, later identified as Troy, entered the bank at approximately 2:24 p.m. He reportedly wore a white protective containment suit, a “Halloween” movie-style mask, Nike Air Jordan shoes, and black gloves. Allegedly, he approached a teller, placed a black backpack on the counter, pointed the shotgun in the teller’s direction, and pumped the gun. The teller immediately placed the money in the backpack, which Troy allegedly grabbed before fleeing the premises in a red pickup truck.

On December 12, 2012, police arrested Troy in Bemidji on an outstanding Itasca County warrant for failure to appear in connection with a prior felony. At that time, officers also located a red pickup that matched the description of the one witnesses spotted in the vicinity of the bank immediately after the robbery.

During the subsequent execution of a search warrant at the Bemidji apartment where Burns lived and Troy was staying, authorities seized shotgun shells, a hacksaw, and a loaded sawed-off shotgun, as well as the sawed-off gun stock and barrel. They also recovered a white protective containment suit, black gloves, Nike Air Jordan shoes, and a “Halloween” movie-style mask. The backpack used in the robbery, as well as some money from the bank, were recovered in Burns’ bedroom.

Because he is a felon, Troy is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm at any time. In 2011, Troy was convicted of third-degree burglary in Koochiching County.

If convicted, the defendants face a potential maximum penalty of 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery. In addition, Troy faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years for brandishing a firearm during a violent crime. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, the Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Kevin S. Ueland.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.