Kansas Husband Robbed A Bank To ‘Escape’ His Wife, Judge ‘Punishes’ Him With A Probation Sentence


A 70-year-old man who told the police after being arrested for robbing a Kansas bank that he would rather be in prison than spend another day with his wife has been sentenced.

According to Daily Mail, Lawrence Ripple pleaded guilty on Monday in a Kansas City courtroom to a federal robbery charge. He faced up to 20 years in prison. The prosecutors and his defense lawyer argued about what sentence they believed was fair for Ripple. According to court documents, Lawrence refused all plea deals.

The judge heard the arguments and suggestions about an appropriate sentence for the elderly bank robber. According to KAKE News, the judge decided on Tuesday, June 13 to hand Ripple probation as his sentence, avoiding any jail time.

According to court documents, Ripple gave the bank teller a note on September 2, 2016, demanding they forked over cash immediately and pointed out that he had a gun and wasn’t afraid to use it.

Lawrence fetched nearly $3,000 in cash and sat in the lobby of the bank while he waited for the police to show up. When the cops arrived, he didn’t fight the arrest.

An FBI stated that Ripple had an argument with his wife earlier in the day and reached his breaking point. He left her a note saying that he planned to rob a bank because he would rather be in jail than with her. His wife, Endayon was by his side when the judge sentenced him on Tuesday.

Lawrence told the judge that he recently had heart surgery, which left him feeling depressed and “unlike himself” in the days before the robbery. Ripple believes that his depression may have contributed to his decision to rob the Kansas City bank.

For a man that took such drastic measures to get away from his wife, he ended up being sentenced to living out his last years with her in his home.

The court recommended that Ripple looks into therapy for his depression and ordered he see a probation officer on a regular schedule.

Do you think the judge gave him a fair sentence? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office]

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