Duke A. Yates, Armed Robbery & Firearms Possession, Missouri 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A brazen Christmas morning heist turned into a high-speed chase that left a trail of destruction in its wake, culminating in a 20-year prison sentence for the man behind the wheel.

Duke A. Yates, 37, of Independence, Missouri, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison without parole for committing two armed robberies and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On December 25, 2023, just after 2:30 a.m., Yates carried out two armed robberies at a Quik Trip and a Walgreen's, both in Independence, at gunpoint within 10 minutes of each other. He fled the scene with a total of between $500 and $700 in cash and a dozen packs of cigarettes.

A police officer spotted Yates driving a white Ford F350 pickup truck with a missing headlight, matching the description of the vehicle used in the robberies, traveling eastbound on U.S. 40 Highway near Blue Ridge Cutoff. Yates fled at the presence of the officer, with the lights now blacked out on the vehicle. The officer turned on his lights and sirens and initiated a pursuit that reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.

During the pursuit, the truck failed to stop for posted stop signs and drove over medians. The truck slid onto 23rd Street facing eastbound in the westbound lanes, causing another motorist to drive onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. Yates drove into oncoming traffic and veered at a marked police vehicle that was attempting to deploy stop sticks.

Yates failed to negotiate a turn at 24911 E. Truman Road and went off-road, colliding with a power pole and breaking it at the base. Yates fled on foot and resisted arrest while being taken into custody.

Officers searched the stolen truck and found a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the driver's side floorboard.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Yates pleaded guilty on November 25, 2024, to two counts of robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/independence-man-sentenced-20-years-christmas-morning-armed-robberies