Kansas Man Charged with Armed Bank Robbery

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Johnson County, Kan., man was charged in federal court today for the armed robbery of Bank of Weston.

Marcus Aurellius Moon, 29, of Johnson County, Kan., was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.

Today’s criminal complaint alleges that Moon stole approximately $26,000 from the Bank of Weston on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014, and that he used a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Moon entered the bank wearing a silver ski mask and carrying a semi-automatic handgun. Moon allegedly walked up to a teller station, pointed his handgun at a bank employee, and said “gimmie the money.” The teller put the money in a plastic bag that Moon was holding, the affidavit says. Moon allegedly noticed another bank employee was counting money, and demanded money from the second employee, who put several stacks of cash into the bag. Moon then allegedly went to another teller station and demanded cash before fleeing from the bank.

The Platte County Sheriff’s Department broadcast to neighboring jurisdictions about the robbery, including a vehicle description and a description of the suspect. Officers with the Atchison, Kan., Police Department set up surveillance around the Amelia Earhart Bridge. They saw Moon driving a vehicle that matched the description given in the broadcast and tried to stop it. However, according to the affidavit, Moon placed the vehicle in reverse, striking police vehicles and escaping. During Moon’s attempts to flee, an Atchison police officer fired his gun. Moon was not struck and was able to escape. Atchison police pursued the suspect for several blocks until his vehicle got stuck in a residential area and Moon was taken into custody.

Officers found a loaded SCCY 9mm handgun inside the vehicle, the affidavit says, along with a silver ski mask and a large amount of money.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this complaint 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Atchison, Kan., Police Department, the Weston, Mo., Police Department, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.