Suspects in bombing hoax appear in court

The three defendants charged in connection with a bombing hoax designed to rob a Cape Girardeau bank had their second appearance in federal court last week.

The government filed motions to detain Keith D. Moon, Darnell W. Moon and Lance L. Lewis on the grounds that they pose flight risks and dangers to the community.

According to an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Herbert J. Stapleton on Aug. 17, the three men purchased carbon dioxide cartridges, a pellet gun and duct tape at a Cape Gir-ardeau Wal-Mart and created four "bomb hoax" devices from the materials.

In an effort to distract police so they could rob the Alliance Bank, Darnell Moon allegedly planted the devices at Central Junior High School, two other schools and the U.S. post office.

Moon then called several bomb threats into the Cape Girardeau Police Department, according to the affidavit.

The three men went to the Alliance Bank in order to commit the robbery, but the number of people there dissuaded them and they drove instead to Lilbourn, Mo., where they allegedly robbed the Bank of New Madrid.

Police arrested them later the same day.

All three men made full confessions to the Lilbourn robbery and the bombing hoax in Cape Girardeau, according to the affidavit.

The confessions, in addition to Wal-Mart receipts, bills with red dye on them and Darnell Moon's cell phone, allowed federal prosecutors to charge all three with armed robbery and Darnell Moon with conspiracy to interfere with commerce.

According to the affidavit, once the men were incarcerated, Darnell Moon planned to engineer some sort of escape when he found out he would be sent to the correctional institution in Farmington, Mo.

Deputies intercepted a letter Darnell Moon wrote to his brother, Keith, in jail, saying "I don't know what's going to happen but whatever happens I told you I'm going to break us out."

Another note indicated that Darnell Moon planned an escape for all three individuals.

Lewis, of Cape Girardeau, was on probation at the time of the charges for a 2005 robbery he committed in Mississippi County.

Keith Moon, of Sikeston, Mo., has been incarcerated on several occasions because of his mental health conditions, which his mother claims includes schizophrenia, according to the affidavit.

Darnell Moon, of Cape Gir-ardeau, has no prior criminal history.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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