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

SEPTEMBER 10, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FLORIDA FUGITIVE CHARGED IN BANK ROBBERY

            SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Florida man, who remains a fugitive, was charged in federal court today with robbing Bank of America in Springfield last week.

             Raymond Lynn Patterson, 45, of Florida, was charged with bank robbery in a federal criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield.

             According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Patterson entered Bank of America, 2940 S. Glenstone, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007. Patterson allegedly showed a robbery demand note to a teller, who provided him with the money from her cash drawer. Patterson took the money in his left hand and walked out of the bank, the affidavit says.

             Bank surveillance photographs were released to the news media, and Patterson was recognized by a Springfield police officer. Patterson is currently a fugitive from justice.

            Wood cautioned that the charge contained in the 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 Douglas C. Bunch. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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