Terry L. Hager Pleads Guilty to $13,957 UMB Bank Heist

A St. Joseph man walked into UMB Bank on March 5, 2016, and walked out with $13,957 — now, he’s admitted to the theft in federal court. Terry L. Hager, 49, pleaded guilty today to robbing the bank located at 1211 N. Belt Hwy, capping a two-year investigation led by local and federal authorities.

Hager appeared before U.S. District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan in Kansas City, Mo., entering his plea to the single count charged in a May 19, 2016, federal indictment. No deals, no excuses — just a straight guilty plea to the armed robbery charge, sealing his fate under federal law.

Prosecutors say Hager approached a teller, presented a demand note, and walked away with cash from the vault in broad daylight. Surveillance footage from inside the bank captured the entire act, investigators confirmed. The FBI and St. Joseph Police Department used that footage, along with witness statements, to build their case.

Now, Hager faces up to 20 years in federal prison — no parole, no second chances. That’s the maximum under federal statutes for bank robbery, a penalty set by Congress. The actual sentence will depend on the court’s review of the presentence investigation, which is now underway by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison D. Dunning, who called the crime a direct assault on public trust. “Robbing a bank isn’t a victimless crime,” Dunning said. “It shakes the foundation of our financial system and terrifies the people who work there.”

The investigation was a joint effort between the St. Joseph Police Department and the FBI, a collaboration that underscores the seriousness with which federal authorities treat financial crimes. A sentencing date for Terry L. Hager has not yet been set.