Jacob Lowell Hessing Charged with Attempted Bank Robbery, New Franklin MO, 2023

State: Missouri
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/new-franklin-man-pleads-guilty-attempted-bank-robbery" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

Attempted Robbery Foiled by Locked Bank Door

Jacob Lowell Hessing, 26, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to rob Exchange Bank of Missouri in New Franklin, MO. Hessing, a New Franklin man, was detained in federal custody since his arrest and is facing up to 20 years in federal prison without parole.

The attempted robbery occurred on September 9, 2023, when Hessing, dressed in black and carrying an AR-style rifle, walked into downtown New Franklin. Residents of the small town with a population of about 1,000, called the Howard County Sheriff’s Department to report a masked man walking around with a rifle.

Surveillance video showed Hessing attempting to open the lobby door of Exchange Bank of Missouri, but the door was locked due to the bank’s Saturday-only appointment hours. Hessing then got back into his red Chevy Equinox and drove off at a high rate of speed.

Investigators traced the vehicle to Hessing and executed a search warrant at his residence on October 30, 2023. They found a Diamondback rifle, hidden in the basement, with a loaded magazine capable of holding more than 40 5.56mm cartridges, consistent with the weapon Hessing carried. Ammunition was also found in the kitchen utensil drawer and several cartridges for the Diamondback rifle were found in the Equinox.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Hessing must forfeit the Diamondback rifle to the government. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.

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