OLATHE, Kan. (KSNT) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for his participation in a pair of armed bank robberies in which he fired several shots, including one at a customer about to enter the bank.
Michael Shiferaw, 23, of Olathe was convicted of two counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm in connection with a bank robbery in August of 2021.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Kenya Breakfield, 23, of Olathe, an accomplice, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with a bank robbery. Breakfield was sentenced in September 2021 to 76 months in prison.
In October 2018, Shiferaw and Breakfield went into a Wells Fargo bank in Leawood, Kansas, wearing ‘Venom’ face masks and carrying handguns. Shiferaw fired a shot into the ceiling upon entering. He then pointed a gun at the tellers and forced them to fill a duffel bag with money. As they left the bank, Shiferaw fired another round into the ceiling, yelling “happy holidays”.
In March 2019, the men robbed the Commerce Bank in Roeland Park, Kansas. According to the authorities, Breakfield stayed in the vehicle as the getaway driver, and Shiferaw entered the bank alone. Shiferaw fired four rounds during the robbery. When tellers attempted to hide under the counter, Shiferaw pointed his
gun at them and demanded to get into the vault. When one of the tellers attempted to get up, Shiferaw
shoved him and pointed a gun at his head.
Shiferaw and Breakfield were arrested shortly after the second robbery.