Greene County Man Charged with Robbing Morrisville Bank at Knife-Point

SPRINGFIELD, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Greene County, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with robbing a Morrisville, Mo., bank at knife-point yesterday.

Daryl Williams, 50, of Greene County, was charged in a federal criminal complaint that was filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo. Williams remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing.

Today’s complaint alleges that Williams stole approximately $3,000 from Farmer’s State Bank, 1168 Maple St., Morrisville. According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s complaint, Williams entered the bank at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Williams allegedly had a nylon panty hose stocking pulled over his head and face and was wearing a baseball cap.

Williams was brandishing a knife with a wooden handle and a six- to eight-inch blade, the affidavit says. He allegedly told a bank employee working behind the counter, “This is a robbery,” and ordered the employee to give him money. The employee gave Williams the money from the teller drawer, the affidavit says, then Williams told another employee at an adjacent teller station, “Give me your 100s, 50s and 20s.” As Williams said this, he allegedly tapped the knife on the teller counter. The employee handed over the money from the teller drawer.

According to the affidavit, Williams left the bank and drove away in a red/maroon extended cab Ford F-150 truck headed east on Missouri Highway 215 in the direction of Missouri Highway 13. Bank employees notified law enforcement of the bank robbery and provided a description of the vehicle.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. the same day, law enforcement officers with the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and an officer with the Missouri Department of Conservation stopped Williams’ vehicle on a gravel side road near the intersection of Highway 215 and Highway 13. Officials found a substantial amount of money in the vehicle and Williams was arrested.

Phillips cautioned that the charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the FBI.