On May 25, 2014 at approximately 6:22AM officers with the Joplin Police Department were dispatched to 701 S Main St (Arvest Bank) on a report of an armed robbery of an individual.

The victim stated he had received a ride from 2 males to a house in Joplin to meet some people. After the victim was dropped off at the residence the vehicle with the other two males left the area. The victim stated that he began walking back to his hotel. The victim said that when he got near the bank one of the males in the vehicle that had provided him a ride approached him. The victim reported a male subject approached him with a knife and forced him to go to the ATM on the east side of Arvest Bank. The male suspect forced the victim to try and withdraw money from the ATM multiple times. The suspect then fled after the victim was unable to withdraw money.

Joplin Police Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Jeffery A. Smith a 30 year old male of Tulsa, OK. Smith was arrested at Motel 6 on May 29, 2014 at approximately 1:38AM.

At this time Smith is being held in the Joplin Municipal Jail on probable cause charges of Robbery in the 1st Degree as well as Armed Criminal Action. Charges have been forwarded to the Jasper County Prosecutor for review.