Malden man sentenced to 4 years in credit union robbery

A Malden, Missouri, man was sentenced Monday afternoon to nearly four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbing the Poplar Bluff Federal Credit Union in November.

David Lee Joiner, 27, was sentenced to 46 months on one felony count of bank robbery by U.S. Distinct Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., assistant U.S. attorney Paul Hahn said.

Upon his release from prison, Joiner will be placed on two years of supervised release, Hahn said.

Joiner pleaded guilty in March to the one-count indictment, according to the plea agreement filed with the U.S. District Court, Eastern District.

"Joiner handed the teller a note stating that: 'You have three seconds to put the hundreds on the counter or the bomb strapped to my chest kills us all,'" the agreement says. "The teller handed Joiner 15 $100 bills and [he] then fled on foot."

About 30 minutes after the robbery, the Poplar Bluff Police Department received a 911 call from Joiner's stepfather, who told them Joiner had just robbed a bank and could be found at his Poplar Bluff, Missouri, home.

Once an officer reached the home, Joiner surrendered and was taken into custody. All $1,500 of the stolen money was recovered.

At the time Joiner was indicted, he also was charged with first-degree robbery in Butler County. Joiner is scheduled to appear July 21 before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Swindle for a plea or trial setting in that case.