Paying back a loan to a gang member was the motive behind the bank robbery in Edgerton last week, according to court documents.
Kansas City resident Joshua Lewis, 27, is facing a trio of charges following using a note in a robbery of U.S. Bank at 400 Frank Street on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
He is facing felony allegations of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution, and resisting a lawful stop — the results of a pursuit that ended at 33rd Street and Jackson Avenue in Kansas City.
Joshua Lewis
The courts entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on March 1. That same day the charges were amended and a second-degree burglary charge was dropped and a felony stealing charge was altered to his current infraction.
Lewis allegedly handed a note saying ‘give me your money’ to a cashier.
Lewis, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a mask, kept his right hand hidden in a pocket making the cashier believe he had a weapon, though he never displayed one, according to court documents.
The cashier handed him a box with $7,000 cash and Lewis left on foot in an unknown direction. A Platte County Sheriff’s deputy en route passed a green Dodge Charger going westbound on Route Z, toward Interstate 29.
The information was dispatched and another PCSO deputy located that the vehicle southbound on I-29 near Dearborn. A traffic stop was initiated and the vehicle fled in excess of 100 miles per hour, swerving in and out of traffic.
Lewis’ vehicle ran over spike strips — the location wasn’t disclosed — and he fled the vehicle. The vehicle pursuit lasted nearly an hour and covered more than 45 miles, with multiple agencies involved.
Lewis gave consent to search the vehicle and a large amount of money and a loaded 9 millimeter handgun was located. A search of his person revealed Lewis in possession of $5,450 in his front pocket of his jeans. He was transported to Platte County Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed by the FBI and Platte County detectives.
Lewis waived his rights and confessed to committing the robbery. He identified himself in still photographs and confessed to passing the note to the teller. He told detectives he was ‘immediately happier’ after getting the money according to court documents.
He did deny using a weapon in the robbery, saying the weapon recovered was under the driver’s seat at that time. When asked why the weapon was recovered in the front passenger floorboard he didn’t have an explanation.