Missouri man’s armed bank robbery foiled by locked front door

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A masked and armed Missouri man who attempted to rob a local bank was foiled after he found that the front door was locked, because it was a Saturday.

Jacob Lowell Hessing, 26, attempted to enter the Exchange Bank of Missouri in New Franklin on September 9 2023, but was unable to enter the building.

On Saturday’s the bank’s lobby is only open to customers by appointment only, which Hessing did not have. According to the FBI, the bank in question was about a block and a half from his home.

Hessing pleaded guilty to one count of attempted bank robbery on Thursday, having been detained in custody since the incident.

According to a plea agreement, Howard County Sheriff’s Department received calls from concerned citizens about a masked man dressed in black walking in downtown New Franklin, which has a population of about 1,000 residents.

The man, later identified as Hessing, was reportedly carrying an AR-style rifle and attempted to enter Exchange Bank of Missouri. He later found the front door to be locked.

Surveillance video showed Hessing walk to the bank and attempt to open the lobby door before getting back into a red Chevy Equinox and driving away at a high speed.

Investigators traced the vehicle to Hessing and executed a search warrant at his residence on October 30.

Federal agents found a Diamondback rifle hidden in the basement, with a loaded magazine capable of holding more than 40 5.56mm cartridges – consistent with the weapon Hessing carried when he attempted to rob the bank.

Ammunition also was found in the kitchen utensil drawer and several cartridges for the Diamondback rifle were found in the red Equinox.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Hessing must forfeit the Diamondback rifle to the government.

Hessing faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for his crime.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office, the FBI said.