Month: September 2019

BPU crew helping in Florida

A crew of Board of Public Utilities employees including Marty Williams, Daniel Lenon, David Shore and Tracy Blackwell left the BPU service center shortly before 8 a.m. Saturday to help with utilities in Florida. The crew is in Orlando, Florida, where they attended a safety briefing from the Orlando Utilities Commission and will work closely with others in Orlando to make necessary repairs after Hurricane Dorian hits Florida, according to a BPU spokesman. (Photo from BPU)

KCK man sentenced for bank, pharmacy robberies

A Kansas man was sentenced today to 6.4 years in federal prison for robbing a bank and a pharmacy and attempting to rob a retail store, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Ralph McGinnis, 63, Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery.

In his plea, McGinnis admitted he robbed the Bank of Labor at 756 Minnesota in Kansas City, Kansas, in September of 2018. He told a bank clerk, “don’t say anything,” and demanded money from a cash drawer. When he fled from the bank with cash, a security guard followed him as far as an apartment building in the 700 block of Nebraska Avenue where McGinnis lived.

The day before the bank robbery, McGinnis was carrying what appeared to be a rifle when he attempted to rob a Family Dollar at 1200 N. 7th St. After the clerk ducked behind the counter, McGinnis left with no money.

On the same day as the attempted robbery, McGinnis robbed the CVS Pharmacy at 950 Minnesota. He told a clerk he had a gun and would use it if he didn’t get what he wanted. He fled with cash.

McAllister commended the FBI, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug for their work on the case.