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Olathe man sentenced to 28 years for bank robberies

Prison bars
Posted at 2:00 PM, Dec 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-03 15:00:22-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Olathe man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for two armed bank robberies.

Michael Shiferaw, 23, was sentenced for two counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of discharging a firearm in connection with a bank robbery, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

His accomplice in the robberies, 23-year-old Kenya Breakfield, was sentenced in September to just over 6 years in prison for her role in the crimes.

In the first robbery, which took place in October 2018, Shiferaw and Breakfield went into a Wells Fargo in Leawood, Kansas, when Shiferaw fired a shot into the ceiling. He then pointed the gun at the tellers and forced them to fill a bag with money, the release said.

In the second robbery, the DOJ release said they robbed a Commerce Bank in Roeland Park, Kansas. Breakfield stayed in the vehicle, while Shiferaw entered the bank and proceeded to threaten the tellers with a gun. He fired four rounds during the robbery.

The defendants were arrested shortly after the second robbery.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Olathe Police Department, Leawood Police Department, and Roeland Park Police Department all assisted in the investigation of the case," the release said.

For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.