Trish Mehaffey, CR Gazette –
A Wall Lake woman was charged in federal court with bank robbery after police recovered a stolen $20 bill from her dresser drawer, and her step-daughter told police the woman and her father had committed four robberies.
Roxena Schoon, 39, was charged with one count of bank robbery and made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids Monday. She was detained, and a preliminary hearing was set June 19.
Roxena Schoon and her husband Jeffrey Schoon, 47, were arrested and charged on firearm and marijuana charges in Sac County after the search of their home March 29, according to a police report.
After the stolen $20 bill was recovered from Roxena Schoonand#x2019;s dresser, she was charged in the March 23 robbery of the Heritage Bank in Lytton, according to the criminal complaint. There was $4,603 stolen from the bank.
Jeffrey Schoonand#x2019;s daughter, Brittany Schoon, told police her father and step-mother Roxena robbed banks in Odebolt, Early, Vail and Lytton Dec. 29, 2011, Jan. 11, Jan. 28, Feb. 1 and March 23, 2012, according to the criminal complaint. She said the couple planned the robberies weeks in advance and gave her information about how they conducted the robberies.
According to the complaint, a white male wearing a dark sweatshirt or hoodie, sunglasses, surgical-type gloves or other gloves and sometimes a surgical mask was the suspect in the four bank robberies. Police found two colors of surgical masks, a pair of dark sunglasses, a dark blue hoodie and clear latex-type gloves in Roxenaand#x2019;s car during the March 29 search.
Brittany Schoon told police after each robbery, Jeffrey Schoon would walk out of the bank to an alley where Roxena was waiting in the car. He would get in the trunk and they would leave town, according to the complaint. She said Roxena Schoon told her about being nervous waiting for Jeffrey because he had to walk a few blocks to get to the car after the Lytton bank robbery.
Brittany Schoon also told police after each robbery the couple would leave town, according to the complaint. After one of the robberies, they drove to Las Vegas and got married. She said her father told her they married because wives canand#x2019;t testify against their husbands.
There are no charges filed so far against Jeffrey Schoon in the case.
