Iowa man plead guilty to armed robbery of Princeton, Mo. bank

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has an update from the May 19, 2023, armed robbery of a Princeton, Missouri, bank. 

According to the DOJ, Phillip Michael Blink, 67, of Promise City, Iowa, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, August 30, 2024, to the armed robbery from May 19, 2023. 

Blink admitted that he robbed First Interstate Bank in Princeton, Mo. back in May of 2023, he was wearing a cowboy hat, a red bandana over his face, gloves, and a trench coat, he walked into the bank and approached a teller at approximately 9:25 a.m. 

Blink admitted to saying, "I'm sorry, but this is going to be a bad morning," he then placed a blue bag on the counter and said, "I want all the money." The teller began placing bills from her drawer into the bag, Blink then pulled a 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun out and said, "I told you it was going to be a bad morning." he then placed the gun on the counter, pointing it at the teller. 

Blink left the bank with $4,115, got into a Ford F-150 truck, backed out of the parking spot and started driving Northbound on Highway 65, the bank manager got pictures of Blink's vehicle and called 911. 

Blink was pulled over later that day in Knoxville, Iowa by a police officer, he was arrested and admitted to the bank robbery, officers searched his vehicle and found the gun, clothing matching the clothes in the pictures and the stolen money. 

Blink is facing up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for the armed bank robbery, and a minimum additional five years in federal prison without parole for using a firearm in a bank robbery. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and was investigated by the FBI.