Man who robbed bank for health care gets lenient sentence

BRANSON, Mo. — A 77-year-old man who said he robbed a Branson bank to get access to health care has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.

Joseph Cyrus of Hollister was sentenced Wednesday for robbing the Central Bank in November.

The Springfield News-Leader reported Cyrus will serve his sentence at a medical facility.

His attorney, Ian Lewis, said Cyrus changed his mind and now wanted to be released from the Greene County Jail and be on probation so his family could care for him. District Judge Douglas Harpool said it was a difficult case, but he didn’t feel comfortable giving a bank robber probation.

Cyrus also was ordered to pay $14,669 restitution. He stole almost $31,000 from the bank but claims to have dumped half of it into a river.