⏱ 2 min read
Aaron Elizabeth Fish, a 35-year-old Topeka woman, used her inside knowledge to help orchestrate an armed robbery at her workplace, a cash advance business on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, on October 16, 2023. Fish, along with co-conspirators Mejia Jawon Pattillo, 50, and Katelyn Nichole North, 34, planned the heist to coincide with a time when Fish wouldn’t be at work. Pattillo approached an employee with a weapon, forced them to disable the alarm, and stole cash from the safe.
Pattillo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and was sentenced to 140 months in prison. Fish pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a 78-month sentence. North, who helped Pattillo hide the stolen currency and vehicle, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The FBI and Topeka Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s office. US Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser stated that his office would use all available tools to hold violent criminals accountable.
The sentences reflect the seriousness of the crime, which put the victim’s life in danger. The inside job robbery was a brazen act that exploited Fish’s position of trust at the business.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Kansas
- Location: KS
- Source: DOJ Press Release
