Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Dodge City Bank Robbery

WICHITA, KS—A man has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for robbing a Dodge City bank, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Carlos Manuel Buten, 27, Dodge City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He admitted that on April 17, 2012, he robbed the Western State Bank, located at 2121 N. 14th in Dodge City, Kansas.

An agent’s affidavit in the case stated that a witness said the robber had an accent resembling someone from the Caribbean Islands. That information, along with surveillance photos from the bank, helped investigators identify Buten, who had come in contact with police as a victim in another investigation. The Dodge City Police Department served a search warrant at the home of co-defendant Tammy L. Harris in the 1700 block of 8th Avenue in Dodge City. Buten was arrested at the Western Holiday Motel in Wichita, where he was staying at the time.

Co-defendant Tammy L. Harris, 38, Dodge City, is awaiting trial on one count of being an accessory after the fact to the bank robbery and one count of making a false statement to the FBI in which she denied knowing about the bank robbery when she drove Buten to Wichita.

Grissom commended the Dodge City Police Department, the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.