Judge issues 10 years for bank robbery, kidnapping

A Springfield man was sentenced in federal court Dec. 16 for robbing $26,536 from Bank of America and kidnapping the bank manager of the 633 W. Kearney St. branch. 

Timothy Polodna, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole, according to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri. 

Polodna entered the Bank of America on July 9, 2014, and requested to talk to someone about getting a loan. He was directed to the bank manager and upon meeting the bank manager in his office, said “You know why I’m here.” After telling the bank manager he had an explosive device with a remote, the bank manager took him to the drive thru window and had the teller give Polodna cash from her drawer. Polodna had the bank manager – who had already activated the alarm – walk him out of the bank and then ordered him to walk three blocks north before calling the police. After watching Polodna go around the corner of Rice House, the bank manager instead returned to the bank, according to the release.

Polodna pleaded guilty to bank robbery and kidnapping on July 13 of this year. 

On July 14, 2014, the FBI received an anonymous tip the vehicle in surveillance photos looked very similar to a vehicle owned by Polodna’s father and that Polodna closely resembled the individual in the surveillance photos. Agents contacted Polodna’s father, who confirmed the rear window of his truck had been broken, according to the release. 

On July 16, 2014, agents searched Polodna’s parent’s home, where Polodna was living, and found a portion of the money taken during the robbery hidden in the area above the drop ceiling of the basement. Polodna was arrested that day.