Two Kansas men were sentenced on July 23 to 71 months in prison each for robbing and assaulting the owners of a food truck in Topeka. Deon Ikner, 21, and Aaron Whitehead, 25, both of Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery.
According to court documents, the incident occurred in March 2024 when Whitehead and Ikner robbed a couple at gunpoint as they were unloading their food truck. The two men struck the male victim with a handgun and threatened to shoot him if he moved. They stole cash that the business owners had earned from their sales that day. The victims later identified Whitehead and Ikner from mugshots.
“These defendants felt so entitled to money they didn’t earn that they violently accosted a husband and wife who had just finished a hard day of work,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Violently robbing a hardworking family is only going to earn you a hefty prison sentence.”
Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge, said, “By their own admission, these two defendants used a firearm and threats to rob a commercial food truck in Topeka. Make no mistake – if you participate in violent crime in Kansas, the FBI and its partners stand ready to hold you accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Topeka Police Department investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas advances justice through federal law enforcement efforts across areas such as Kansas City, Wichita, and Lawrence, provides services including victim support and civil rights enforcement, collaborates with Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives, and is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the official website.