Vilayphone "Joe" Phimmala has been indicted in federal court on one count of armed bank robbery, U.S. Attorney for Kansas, Lanny Welch, announced Wednesday.
Phimmala, 30, is accused of robbing the CornerBank South Branch, 1421 Main in Winfield, on July 3. He was originally charged in Cowley County District Court but that charge will be dropped now that he’s been charged federally.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked on the case in conjunction with local authorities.
The case went before a grand jury in Wichita today after being delayed Tuesday, police officials said.
