A Columbia man convicted in robberies dating back to the 1970s was charged by a federal grand jury in connection to a February armed bank robbery in Columbia.
Basil Kyles, 71, was charged in federal court Tuesday with bank robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a Thursday news release from the United States Department of Justice. He is charged in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.
Kyles allegedly entered First Mid Bank and Trust on North Fifth Street on Feb. 14, when he brandished a firearm and demanded that the teller give him money, according to the release. The teller emptied her cash drawer, which contained approximately $6,000, and gave it to Kyles, according to the release. Kyles allegedly placed the money into a plastic bag and left the bank, the release said.
Under federal statutes, Kyles is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years on the bank robbery charge, up to life imprisonment on the brandishing firearm charge and up to 15 years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge, according to the release.
Kyles was convicted in four Connecticut robbery cases from the 1970s through 1990s and had a federal conviction for aggravated bank robbery from 1993, according to online court documents.
Kyles was arrested in 2018 in connection to another bank robbery in Columbia and had his federal parole revoked, according to court documents. He was sentenced to an additional 33 months in prison and was released in 2022, according to court documents.
Kyles also faces charges from the state of Missouri, including first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in connection to the incident, according to previous KOMU 8 reporting.