Ken Kenyatta Wilson, Bank Robbery, Michigan 2021

BANK ROBBERY STRIKES IN YPSILANTI

A brazen bank robbery took place on March 23, 2021, at a Chase Bank branch in Ypsilanti, Michigan. 49-year-old Ken Kenyatta Wilson, a convicted felon, entered the bank and approached a teller, demanding she hand over all the money she had. The teller, fearing for her safety, handed Wilson $1,000 in currency.

Wilson then fled the bank and entered a red vehicle. A high-speed chase ensued, with Wilson reaching speeds of up to 100 mph. The chase eventually ended with Wilson crashing into a median on US-23 North, causing him to be ejected from the vehicle.

Wilson was taken into custody by Pittsfield Township Police Department officers and transported to a local hospital for injuries sustained in the crash. From the crash scene and vehicle, officers recovered a black semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, a silver revolver, a rifle, multiple loaded magazines, and a bag containing $1,000, consistent with the reported loss from Chase Bank.

Wilson, formerly of Cleveland, Ohio, was arraigned in federal court in Detroit on charges stemming from the bank robbery. Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin announced the charges, joined by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Matthew E. Harshberger, Director of Public Safety, Pittsfield Township Police Department.

Wilson faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for bank robbery, a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison for carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Currie is prosecuting the case.

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