Kansas City, Kansas, couple arrested in connection with January bank robbery: Police
A Kansas City, Kansas, couple has been charged with robbing a U.S. Bank branch there earlier this year.
Willie James Sampson, 51, and Kimberly Tiffany Thomas-Sampson, 50, have each been charged in Wyandotte County court with two counts of aggravated robbery as well as aggravated non-residential burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and theft.
Thomas-Sampson was a special education coordinator for KCK Public Schools, according to district spokesperson Markl Johnson. She was arrested at her workplace on Monday, according to KCKPD.
Thomas-Sampson was placed on administrative leave following her arrest, Johnson said.
KCK police attempted to serve an arrest warrant to Sampson at the couple’s KCK home around 1:30 p.m. Monday, the department shared on social media. When officers arrived, Sampson barricaded himself inside the home for about two hours before he exited and was placed under arrest.
The robbery took place around 9:35 a.m. on January 31 in the U.S. Bank location at 10959 Parallel Parkway, according to a representative for the Kansas City division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sampson allegedly entered the bank alone with a handgun and fled in a gray SUV with an undisclosed amount of money, according to the FBI.
Around the same time, nearby Lowell Brune Elementary School was locked down following reports of a man with a gun on school grounds, according to KCKPD.
Sampson and Thomas-Sampson are each being held in the Wyandotte County Detention Center on $250,000 bond. Their next court dates have not yet been set.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM.
