Ladue, Eisenhour Indicted in Pinnacle Bank Armed Robbery

Two Joplin men are facing federal charges after allegedly brandishing a firearm during the armed robbery of Pinnacle Bank on Nov. 14, 2016. Sean Ladue, 29, and Jimmy Eisenhour, 36, both of Joplin, Mo., were indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2016, on two counts tied to the violent heist.

The indictment alleges Ladue and Eisenhour stormed Pinnacle Bank located at 1316 E. 32nd Street, Joplin, threatening employees and customers with a loaded firearm before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash. Surveillance footage from the scene shows two masked men entering the branch during midday, ordering tellers to the ground, and emptying cash drawers in under four minutes.

Both men are charged with one count of armed bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence. If convicted, Ladue and Eisenhour could face decades behind bars.

The investigation was launched immediately after the robbery, with the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and FBI agents combing through video evidence, witness statements, and forensic data. Authorities say critical leads emerged from vehicle tracking and witness descriptions that placed both suspects near the scene before and after the robbery.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher is prosecuting the case, emphasizing the federal response to violent crimes targeting financial institutions. “Armed robbery is not just theft—it’s terror inflicted on workers and the public,” Kelleher stated. “We will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson cautioned that the charges are allegations and not proof of guilt. “A federal trial jury will weigh the evidence and determine the outcome,” she said. “Until then, the presumption of innocence remains intact.”