29/03/2025
A 55-year-old Wichita man accused of robbing a bank in December is now free after a federal judge dismissed his case due to the prosecution’s failure to provide key evidence on time. The case against Craig Duane Drees was thrown out on March 3rd after prosecutors missed a crucial court-ordered deadline, failing to turn over essential discovery materials, including surveillance footage, images, & legal documents. The judge noted that this was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of delayed evidence disclosures & mismanagement in multiple cases, despite previous efforts to correct these issues.
𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱
Judge Melgren ruled that the prosecution’s failure to meet the January 29th discovery deadline severely compromised Craig’s right to a fair trial. By that deadline, the only evidence the defense had received was a Wichita Police Department report, which included officer narratives from 15 officers & investigative notes. However, none of the supporting materials mentioned in the report- such as surveillance videos, body camera footage, search warrants, & images from a license plate reader- had been provided, leaving the defense without critical evidence to review.
On January 30th, a day after it was due, the prosecution turned over most of the evidence, including 630 videos, 138 images, & six document files. Even then, the files were disorganized, lacked clear labels, & were incomplete. More concerning was the absence of key documents, such as search warrant applications & returns, which were crucial for determining the legality of searches & whether any evidence should be thrown out.
While prosecutors blamed technical difficulties, the defense argued that charges should not have been filed until all necessary evidence was available. They pointed out that when the prosecution eventually turned over the evidence, it was simply delivered on a flash drive- something that could have been done much earlier to avoid unnecessary delays.
Judge Melgren said these delays could have been avoided & blamed them on government inefficiency rather than factors beyond their control. He stressed that the prosecution’s failure to provide evidence in a timely, structured manner not only stalled proceedings but also obstructed Craig’s ability to prepare a defense. The judge also noted that similar discovery delays had been a recurring issue in multiple cases, despite previous meetings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office & the Federal Public Defender’s Office to address the problem.
Melgren ruled that giving the government more time wouldn’t solve the problem & would only keep Craig in jail longer without due process. Instead, he dismissed the case without prejudice, saying that delaying the trial even more would further violate Craig’s rights. The court decided this was the fairest option- it protected Craig’s right to a fair trial while still allowing the government to refile charges if they could properly handle the evidence.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘆 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Craig was indicted on December 17th for allegedly robbing the Equity Bank at 7701 E. Kellogg on December 11th. According to court records, he entered the bank at 4:12 PM carrying a red backpack. He approached the counter & reportedly told the teller, "I'm sorry, times are tough," before opening the bag, which contained a handwritten note reading, "Big bills." The teller placed the money inside, & Craig left on foot.
Surveillance footage captured him walking to & from the Blue Way Inn & Suites nearby. Video from the inn showed him leaving a room in the same clothing before the robbery & later returning, changing clothes, & leaving with a gray backpack. He was later seen getting picked up by a Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Around 5:22 PM, QuikTrip cameras at Pawnee & Hillside recorded him entering the store with a man & a woman, where investigators believe he spent stolen cash.
The next afternoon, officers located the minivan & contacted the two individuals from the QuikTrip video. The woman refused a search, but an officer saw a gray backpack in the back seat, matching the one Craig carried when leaving the inn.
The man admitted Craig had been at the Blue Way Inn before the robbery & returned afterward, telling them to pack up & leave. Later, Craig asked him for a ride, saying he needed to get out of the area. The man told investigators that Craig paid cash for food & gas at QuikTrip. After leaving there, Craig requested they go to a gas station near Harry & Hydraulic to use the slot machines. There, he gave them $100 bills to gamble with. The man estimated Craig gave him about $200, but he wasn’t sure how much Craig spent himself or how much the woman received. Eventually, the man & woman left, leaving Craig at the gas station.
Investigators learned Craig was dating the man's mother. The evening of the robbery, she called her son to say she was with Craig & they were about to "pull up." When they did, Craig gave the man another $200 before leaving. While interviewing the man, detectives learned Craig’s girlfriend was on her way to pick him up in Derby. Police tracked his movements until locating him in the 300 block of North Georgie in Derby & arresting him roughly 24 hours after the robbery. Craig refused to give a statement & was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail. On December 30th, he was transferred to the Butler County Jail, where he remained until his release on March 3rd.
Craig has a long criminal record, having been in & out of prison since 2002. He was last released in October 2019. His history includes around 27 convictions for different types of Forgery, as well as two convictions each for Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Identity Theft/Fraud & Theft.
Read the court docs- drive.proton.me/urls/C1Z85TJRZR
- Shae
**Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Our information comes from public records like police reports, court documents, scanner audio from police, fire & EMS, news reports & other reliable sources.**
