TOPEKA, Kan. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal bank robbery charge, stemming back to an incident with occurred in October 2014, and admitted to threatening employees with a gun and dragging a woman by her hair.
In a news release sent out Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Clifton B. Cloyd, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery, which occurred on Oct. 29, 2014. That day he and another man robbed the Bank of America at 9500 Mission in Overland Park.
In his plea, Cloyd admitted to carrying a handgun as he and his accomplice held five bank employees and one customer at gunpoint. Cloyd said he had grabbed one of the female bank employees and pulled her by the hair and scarf to the teller station, and had struck her in the face with the handgun as well as a male bank employee, causing his head to bleed. He also admitted to striking a female customer so hard, she was knocked to the floor and her glasses flew off.
Cloyd is facing a federal prison sentence of 10 to 25 years and a fine of up to $250,000 for the bank robbery charge, and up to a seven year sentence and a fine of up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. His sentencing is set for September 14.
Cloyd’s co-defendant, 55-year-old Steve A. Watts, is awaiting trial.
In the release, Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the Prairie Village Police Department, the Leawood Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on this case.
