INDEPENDENCE MAN INDICTED IN MULTIPLE BANK ROBBERY AND ATTEMPTED ROBBERY INCIDENTS

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A 66-year-old Independence man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery stemming from a series of incidents in the Kansas City metropolitan area in 2024.

Ernest A. Wilcox was charged in a three-count federal indictment returned under seal on November 21, 2025, in the Western District of Missouri. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest, bringing the allegations into public record.

According to the indictment, Wilcox attempted to rob a bank in Kansas City, Missouri on May 8, 2024. Prosecutors further allege that on June 11, 2024, he successfully robbed a bank in Independence, Missouri. Less than a month later, on July 3, 2024, Wilcox allegedly attempted to rob the same Independence bank a second time.

Federal bank robbery statutes, codified under 18 U.S.C. § 2113, criminalize the taking or attempted taking of money or property from a federally insured financial institution by force, violence, or intimidation. Each count carries a statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing determinations are made by the court based on advisory federal sentencing guidelines, the defendant’s criminal history, the nature of the conduct, and other statutory factors.

Bank robbery prosecutions fall under federal jurisdiction when the targeted financial institution is federally insured. Even when physical force is not alleged, intimidation sufficient to place a victim in fear can satisfy elements of the offense. Attempted bank robbery charges apply when substantial steps toward commission of the crime are alleged, even if no funds are obtained.

Details regarding the method allegedly used in the June robbery and the attempted incidents have not been fully detailed in the indictment. Federal indictments typically provide concise factual allegations sufficient to establish probable cause while reserving evidentiary detail for trial proceedings.

An indictment is a formal accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in federal court.

If convicted on all three counts, Wilcox would face a potential aggregate maximum sentence of 60 years in federal prison, though actual sentencing would be determined by the court following a presentence investigation conducted by the United States Probation Office.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Independence Police Department and the Kansas City Police Department.

The matter now proceeds through the federal court system, where trial proceedings will determine the outcome of the charges.

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