Suspects shopped at local stores, devised plan before bank robbery, officials say

The two men who allegedly robbed a Cape Girardeau bank this week went shopping together at local stores over the weekend and planned Monday's robbery, according to documents released from the U.S. attorney's office.

Marquel L. Rhines, 19, of Mounds, Ill., and Keiran D. Pippins, 18, of Forest Park, Ga., were transferred Tuesday to St. Louis, where they were charged with robbing First State Community Bank, 2527 William St., on Monday. Authorities also charged Pippins with the Nov. 19 robbery of Capaha Bank, 380 N. Kingshighway.

FBI agent Lyonel Myrthil said in a probable-cause statement that $8,900 was taken from Capaha Bank and about $9,900 was stolen from the First State Community Bank. In both robberies, Myrthil said in the statement, Pippins displayed an envelope with writing on it instructing the tellers to hand over all their money and no dye packs.

Marquel L. Rhines

Cape Girardeau police apprehended both men shortly after they exited a Ford Explorer on foot south of Bloomfield Road on Kingshighway. Police found $9,913 in a bag nearby.

In the statement, Myrthil said Pippins waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the robbery and later confessed to robbing Capaha Bank. Pippins described the clothing he wore in both robberies and said he displayed the note demanding the tellers hand over cash in both incidents.

Rhines was aware of the robbery that occurred at Capaha Bank and saw Pippins' photo in the Southeast Missourian, the statement said. Rhines said he saw that Pippins, known only known to him as "Bam," had a lot of money that weekend and that the two men shopped at local stores, according to the probable-cause statement, but that Rhines said he unaware whether the money was from the Capaha Bank robbery.

Before the robbery, Rhines drove Pippins to Auto Zone to get a plastic bag, the statement said. Rhines said he knew Pippins was going to do something illegal to get some money but that Pippins didn't say he was going to rob a bank.

However, during a separate interview Pippins told authorities he had discussed robbing the bank Sunday and that Rhines knew the robbery would occur, the statement said.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

Pertinent addresses:

2527 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO

380 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO