GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Kalamazoo man has pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing three credit unions in Kalamazoo in 2014.
Edward Oneal Bowen faces 25 years in prison for each of the three robberies. He also faces another sentence of seven years up to life in prison on a firearms charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bowen admitted to robbing the Preferred Credit Union of Kalamazoo on May 5, 2014, getting away with $6,200. On June 18, Bowen robbed the same credit union again, getting away with about $6,400. In that robbery, he left behind an orange juice cup and straw that smelled like alcohol. On July 8, he robbed the Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union and forced employees to access the vault. He locked the employees in a utility closet and stole about $41,000.
Investigators were able to get a DNA sample from the straw and as able to match it to Bowen because a DNA sample was taken from Bowen after a 1996 conviction for Assault with Intent to Murder. They also got a fingerprint match from the cup.
