Missouri – A man from Missouri admitted in federal court to robbing five banks and attempting a sixth robbery across the St. Louis area over the course of more than a year. The man, identified as 62-year-old Derrick Snulligan, entered his guilty plea last Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
According to court documents, Snulligan began his crime spree on April 18, 2023, when he entered a bank in Northwoods wearing a mask and handed a note to the teller demanding money. He returned to the same bank on August 28, 2023, and used the same method—passing a demand note while wearing a mask.
A third attempt at the same Northwoods location occurred on October 13, but this time the teller activated a security alarm and ordered Snulligan to leave. He fled the scene without any money.
Following that failed attempt, investigators say Snulligan altered his strategy, making his notes more aggressive. On June 24, 2024, he approached a teller at a credit union in Hazelwood and passed a note stating, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6 one-hundred-dollar bills, 4 fifty-dollar bills, 10 ten-dollar bills, and 20 5-dollar bills as quickly as possible”. The teller complied, handing over the cash, and Snulligan escaped.
Just three days later, on June 27, he struck again, two times. First at a St. Louis credit union, then later the same day at a Florissant location. In both instances, he handed the tellers notes with detailed instructions and threats of violence. After each robbery, he was seen fleeing in a blue vehicle, which authorities later identified as a Buick Encore.
Investigators were able to track the vehicle back to Snulligan. After being apprehended, he admitted to all five robberies and the one attempted robbery. He also returned a portion of the stolen cash. Authorities confirmed that he sometimes went by another name—Derrick Jackson.
Snulligan has now pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1.
The case was investigated by the FBI in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, including the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Northwoods Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa.
This case falls under the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative that supports collaboration between law enforcement and community members to curb violent crime and improve public safety.
