Missouri man charged in Overland Park bank robbery

A Missouri man was charged Thursday with robbing an Overland Park bank, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Steven D. Lavy, 55, Kansas City, Missouri, was charged in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, with one count of bank robbery.

A criminal complaint alleges that on June 21, Lavy robbed Bank of the West at 12080 Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park. He placed a blue bag on the counter and showed the teller a gun. He was wearing a polo shirt, khaki pants, a fake mustache, a hospital mask and a straw hat.

When Lavy left the bank with the money, a bank employee took a picture of his license plate.

When officers of the Leawood Police Department spotted the car, Lavy led them on a chase that lasted several minutes. Lavy’s car rammed a Leawood police car two times before he was taken into custody, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery charge. The Leawood Police Department, the Overland Park Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.