Richard L. Gathercole, Bank Robbery, Carjacking, Brandishing a Firearm, Nebraska 2017

LINCOLN, NE – Richard L. Gathercole, 41, formerly of Roundup, Montana, will spend the next 35 years behind bars. Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf handed down the sentence today for bank robbery, brandishing a firearm, and carjacking. The ‘AK Bandit,’ as he became known, will also serve 5 years of federal supervised release and pay $392,392.06 in restitution to his numerous victims.

Gathercole’s reign of terror stretched across state lines, culminating in a violent spree in western Nebraska and northern Kansas in June 2017. His capture followed a carjacking incident in Kansas, bringing an end to a nationwide manhunt. But the 2017 events were just the latest chapter in a criminal career that began years earlier.

The moniker ‘AK Bandit’ wasn’t just a nickname; Gathercole routinely brandished an AK-47 assault-style rifle during his bank heists. His early crimes, dating back to 2012, included robberies in California, Washington, and Idaho. The violence escalated over time. In Chino, California, he shot a police officer, striking an artery and leaving the officer unable to return to duty due to a shattered femur. The officer was forced to drive himself to the hospital, bleeding profusely.

Gathercole didn’t simply rob banks; he terrorized employees. Tactics included forcing staff into bank vaults, issuing death threats, and even deploying what appeared to be explosive devices to instill fear. A 2015 Iowa robbery saw him utilize a fake bomb, while a 2014 Nebraska City heist involved holding employees captive and dictating when they could alert authorities. Law enforcement recovered a bulletproof vest marked “Sheriff” from his Montana residence, suggesting a calculated attempt to deceive victims and law enforcement.

The final chase in June 2017 was a harrowing display of recklessness. After crossing into Nebraska from Kansas, Gathercole led troopers on a high-speed pursuit, repeatedly firing his weapon at them. When he ditched his vehicle, he carjacked a farmer near Atwood, Kansas, holding him at gunpoint and forcing him to drive toward the Nebraska border. The farmer eventually escaped, but Gathercole continued in the stolen vehicle.

The end came in Lexington, Nebraska, when deputy sheriffs identified the vehicle as the one involved in the Kansas carjacking. Gathercole was taken into custody as he exited a gas station, bringing a decade of violence and fear to a close. The investigation was a collaborative effort by the FBI and law enforcement agencies across Nebraska, Kansas, Washington, Iowa, California, Idaho, and Montana – a testament to the widespread impact of the ‘AK Bandit’s’ criminal enterprise.

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