Joseph E. Cyrus, Armed Bank Robbery, Missouri 2015

A brazen bank heist in Branson, MO, has yielded a guilty plea from the perpetrator. Joseph E. Cyrus, 76, of Hollister, MO, admitted to stealing $30,946 from Central Bank on October 16, 2015.

According to court documents, Cyrus entered the bank at approximately 9 a.m. wearing a blue ski mask and rubber gloves. He brandished a black semi-automatic pistol and ordered the tellers to hand over cash, threatening to shoot one in the knee.

Cyrus's antics were captured on surveillance footage, which showed him fleeing the scene in a white Ford Ranger pickup truck with a West Virginia license plate. An off-duty Branson police officer recognized the vehicle and contacted the authorities, leading to Cyrus's eventual arrest.

Cyrus turned himself in on October 21, 2015. Under federal statutes, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine of up to $250,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. The FBI, Branson Police Department, and Hollister Police Department all contributed to the investigation.

Cyrus's sentencing hearing will be scheduled after a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The Hollister community is breathing a sigh of relief as the perpetrator behind the Central Bank heist takes responsibility for his actions.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/hollister-man-pleads-guilty-armed-bank-robbery