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Man who robbed bank to avoid wife sentence to house arrest

A 71-year-old who claimed he'd rather have jail time than spend another minute at home with his wife has been sentenced.
Lawrence John Ripple
According to his son-in-law, Ripple had never gotten so much as a parking ticket.
Wyandotte County Detention Center

A man who robbed a bank because he said he would prefer to be in prison than to return home to his wife has been sentenced – ironically – to house arrest.

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In September, 2016, 70-year-old Lawrence John Ripple was arrested after robbing the Bank of Labor in Kansas City.

The court heard that Ripple walked up to the teller and handed her a note which read ‘I have a gun, give me money.’

After handing over $2,924, the teller was astonished that Ripple sat down and said he was waiting for the police.

He later said that he had decided to rob the bank because he said he would prefer jail time over going home to his wife.

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In January he pleaded guilty to the crime.

Ripple’s attorney, Chekasha Ramsey, told the court that the incident was out of character for the previously law-abiding man.

His behaviour was put down to a depression which set in following a quadruple heart bypass in 2015, and was never properly treated.

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Recognising Ripple’s remorse, his health issues, and the unlikeliness of him committing more crimes, U.S. District Court Judge Carlos Murguia sentenced him to 6 months home detention.

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