Missouri – A Missouri man has been sentenced in federal court after attempting to rob a local bank, bringing an end to a case that began with a brief but tense encounter inside the financial institution.
Cleburn Bruce Greene, 51, received a prison term of 37 months without the possibility of parole. The sentence was handed down by U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes following Greene’s earlier guilty plea to one count of attempted bank robbery tied to an incident in the fall of 2024.
According to the Department of Justice, attempted robbery unfolded on the morning of October 1, when Greene entered a bank in Sedalia shortly after 10 a.m. and approached the customer service counter. After writing a message on a piece of paper, he presented the note to a teller with a demand for money.
“Give me your money,” was written on the note.
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When questioned about whether he held an account at the bank, Greene clarified the situation by stating it was a robbery and issued additional verbal warnings intended to pressure the employee.
“No. this is a robbery.” Greene said to the bank employee: “Don’t play with me” and “don’t make me do something crazy”, he said per the Department of Justice.
As the teller worked at a computer to access emergency cash, Greene abruptly left the building and discarded the handwritten note in a nearby dumpster.
Investigators later recovered the note, and surveillance footage captured Greene leaving the area in a Kia Sportage. Several hours after the attempted robbery, officers with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department spotted Greene in a restaurant parking lot within the city.
Authorities noted he was still wearing the same clothing seen in the bank’s surveillance images. Police followed him to a gas station, where he was taken into custody without incident.
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The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford, while the investigation was conducted by the FBI in coordination with the Kansas City Police Department.
Federal officials said the matter falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative focused on addressing violent crime and other public safety threats. The sentencing closes the federal court proceedings connected to the attempted robbery.
