Springfield man charged for Great Southern robbery

A Springfield man on Nov. 29 was charged in federal court with the armed robbery of Great Southern Bank, 507 E. Kearney St.

Kwanell Allen, 21, is charged with the theft of $20,664 during a Nov. 26 robbery, according to a news release from Beth Phillips, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Allen entered the bank brandishing two semiautomatic pistols and wearing all black, including a ski mask and blacked hooded sweatshirt. He then allegedly proceeded to conduct a takeover-style robbery.

The charges claim Allen held the branch manager at gun point and demanded that a teller take money from the drawers and place it in a trash can behind the teller counter. He then allegedly forced the manager and the teller into the manager's office and told them to rip the phone cord out of wall, lay face down and count to 100 as he left the bank, according to the release.

Surveillance photographs of the robbery were captured by cameras inside the bank, and cameras outside of the bank took photos of a maroon minivan with a recognizable grill and no visible license plates, which according to the affidavit, was Allen's vehicle.

Several surveillance photos were provided to local media, and the next day, the Springfield Police Department received a tip identifying Allen. Law enforcement officers conducted surveillance at Allen's residence, where they found a vehicle matching the surveillance photos parked in the driveway. When Allen left his home the morning of Nov. 29, he was arrested by police officers and FBI agents.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kelleher.[[In-content Ad]]