Jury convicts Missouri man of robbing Kansas bank

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Missouri man of robbing a bank in Shawnee, Kansas.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richard Ruston, 53, of Independence, Missouri, entered the First Interstate Bank on Shawnee Mission Parkway on July 20, 2022.  After briefly displaying what a bank teller employee believed to be a firearm, the robber demanded money, and left the bank with $2,974 in cash.  

“Richard Ruston subjected people, who were trying to earn an honest living, to unimaginable terror and angst because he chose criminal means to obtain money,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Fortunately, due to the excellent investigation by law enforcement and the solid case presented by prosecutors, the evidence convinced a federal jury of Ruston’s guilt, and a judge will determine the appropriate sentence for his crime.” 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Shawnee Police Department, Merriam Police Department, and Kansas City, Missouri Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug prosecuted the case.

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