78-year-old Bonnie Gooch, who has been charged with one count of stealing or attempting to steal from a financial institution, is was released from a Missouri jail on Thursday after her bond was reduced.
Gooch has been incarcerated since early April after allegedly targeting the Goppert Financial Bank, reported Kansas City Star. Witnesses described Gooch entering the bank wearing plastic gloves, a black N95 mask, black sunglasses, and a head-to-toe gray outfit. Allegedly, she handed a note to a teller, declaring her intent to rob the bank and requesting $13,000 in small bills. “Thank you sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” the note also read.
This is allegedly Gooch’s third attempt at robbing a bank.
Gooch’s criminal record dates back to 1977 when she was convicted of robbing a bank in California. In 2020, Gooch found herself involved in yet another bank robbery, this time in a Missouri suburb. Her probation recently ended in November 2021, reported NBC. (RELATED: Jury Finds Elderly Man Guilty For Turning Wheelchair Into Shotgun-Strapped Booby Trap That Injured FBI Agent)
Fast forward to her latest alleged bank heist: Gooch was initially held on a substantial $25,000 bond and appeared in court Wednesday where officials unanimously agreed to grant her a ROR (Released on Own Recognizance) bond, reported Kansas City Star. This means she will not be required to pay any money for her release and was scheduled to leave Thursday morning.
As part of the agreement, she is strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol, entering any financial institutions, or coming within 500 feet of any Goppert Bank location. Gooch voluntarily waived her right to a preliminary hearing, and her formal arraignment is currently scheduled for July 24.