NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

AUGUST 6, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JEFFERSON CITY WOMAN CHARGED IN

CREDIT UNION ROBBERY

            JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Jefferson City, Mo., woman was charged in federal court today with robbing a Jefferson City credit union this morning.

            Amanda Danielle Messer, 24, of Jefferson City, was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed this afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., with stealing $13,100 from River Region Credit Union.

            According to an affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Messer entered River Region Credit Union, 3608 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City, at about 9:57 a.m. today. Messer approached a teller and asked to speak to a manager, but was directed to a seat in the waiting area. A couple of minutes later, Messer allegedly approached the teller again and said, “I need $10,000 fast; I have a gun.” Although a gun was threatened, the affidavit says, it was not displayed. Messer allegedly pushed a white plastic bag across the counter to the teller, who filled it with cash. Another teller also placed cash in the bag. The first teller returned the bag to Messer, the affidavit says, who walked out of the credit union and drove away in her pick-up truck.

            Police officers stopped the pick-up truck a few minutes later, still in the vicinity of the credit union, and arrested Messer.

            Wood cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

            This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html