United States Attorney Nicholas A.

Klinefeldt
Southern District of Iowa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mike Bladel

Thursday, June 10, 2010 (515) 473-9342
http://www.justice.gov/usao/ias/ Mike.Bladel@usdoj.gov

Cedar Rapids Woman And Washington, Iowa, Man

Sentenced on Federal Bank Robbery and Gun Charges

Davenport, IA- On August 26, 2010, Raylon Deshon Jones, 20, of Washington, IA, was

sentenced to 125 months imprisonment for of bank robbery and possession of firearms in

furtherance of violent crime. Katelyn Marie Curtis, 19, of Cedar Rapids, IA, was sentenced to

73 months for the same charges. Both defendants were also ordered to serve three-year terms of

supervised release following imprisonment, pay assessments of $200 each to the Crime Victims

Fund, and pay $400 each in restitution related to counseling for affected bank employees.

Previously, on July 2, 2010, the third defendant in the case, Verkisha Latrice Burns, 21,

of Cedar Rapids, IA, was sentenced to 127 months imprisonment on the same robbery and

firearms charges.

On October 5, 2009, Curtis entered the West Chester Savings Bank in Washington, Iowa,

posing as a customer to case the bank. Minutes after Curtis left, Burns entered the bank, wearing

a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses.

Burns at first presented a note reading, “This is a robery (sic). Put the money in the bag. I

you scream I will shoot. Put your hands where I can see them.” A loan officer asked Burns to

remove her hood. At that point, Burns pulled a gun, pointing it at loan officers and tellers, and

took $3,760, which was stuffed in a blue bag.

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Ten minutes after witnesses saw Burns flee the area in dark green vehicle, police stopped

the vehicle on Highway 1 north of Washington. Curtis was driving. Jones was in the passenger

seat. Burns was attempting to hide in the rear seat area of the vehicle.

After the suspects were arrested and the vehicle impounded, police obtained a warrant to

search the vehicle, finding the blue bag containing $3760, a .25 cal. semi-automatic handgun,

and the clothing worn by the robber.

This investigation was conducted by the Washington, IA, Police Department, the

Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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