Springfield man pleads guilty to Bank of America robbery

A Springfield man pleaded guilty yesterday to robbing a local Bank of America branch and kidnapping a bank manager to accomplish the job in the Queen City.

According to a news release from the office of Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, on July 9, 2014, Timothy Polodna, 53, stole $26,536 from the Bank of America branch at 633 W. Kearney St.

Entering the bank wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and white gauze over his chin, he was directed to the bank manager’s office after saying he wanted to take out a loan. Polodna then threatened the bank manager, saying he had an explosive device and would set it off, in order to steal money from a teller drawer, according to court documents. Polodna led the bank manager out of the branch and told him to walk three blocks before calling the police.

Five days later, the FBI received an anonymous tip identifying a vehicle in surveillance photos owned by Polodna’s father. On July 16, 2014, agents searched Polodna’s parents’ home, where he was living, and found a portion of the stolen bank money hidden above the basement’s drop ceiling. Polodna was then arrested, according to the release.

Under federal statutes, Polodna is subject to a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole and up to a life sentence, plus another seven years for the kidnapping charge.