ST. LOUIS — A U.S. District Judge ordered a 135-month prison sentence for a Florissant man who admitted to robbing 5 Florissant businesses in 2021 and 2022.
Kevin E. West Jr., 23, was also ordered to pay more than $7,000 in restitution.
In June, West pleaded guilty to the robberies, admitting to robbing two Dollar Tree locations, two Subway locations, and a GameStop.
In May of 2021, employees locked the doors at 9 p.m. at the Dollar Tree in the 700 block of North Highway 67. Little did they know West was inside the store.
West approached two employees at the first cash register, pointing a handgun.
"I want all the money right now," West told the employees, according to court documents. "Everybody get down and don't move."
He then went to the second cash register and demanded money before approaching a third employee.
West put the gun to the third employee's head, demanding the money from the safe. He walked away with around $2,500.
In December of 2021, West got into the stockroom of the Dollar Tree near New Halls Ferry Road and Highway 67.
There, he placed the handgun barrel on an employee's forehead before taking her and a second employee to the back office, before demanding the money from the safe. He walked away with around $3,000.
In January 2022, an employee at the Subway in the 2500 block of North Highway 67 unlocked the front doors and turned on an open sign. It was around 9 a.m. The employee heard the door chime. It was West entering the business before jumping the counter.
With a handgun, West threatened the employee, demanding the safe be opened. The employee said he couldn't, so West settled for what he could get from the cash register: $385.15.
Days later, in January 2022, West went to the GameStop near New Halls Ferry Road and North Highway 67. There, he picked up a set of headphones before flourishing a handgun. He demanded money from the cash registers and an employee complied.
He walked away with $800 and the headphones, but surveillance cameras caught footage of his escape in a silver Ford Fusion. That's when Ferguson Police Department investigators began tracking the vehicle's GPS location.
Later in January of 2022, West entered the Subway in the 8400 block of North Lindberg and asked to use the restroom. Later, he'd approach the counter and order a sandwich.
When he got to the register, he pointed a handgun at the employee and demanded the money from the register, threatening to shoot her if she didn't hurry up.
He demanded money from the safe, but the employee didn't know where the safe was hidden. He walked away with $337.
Ferguson Police Officers observing the suspect vehicle noticed the Subway location's lights were off. Officers approached the employee and asked them if they were just robbed. The victim said yes.
Officers conducted a traffic stop on the car and found a gun matching the description of one used during the robbery. West was the only occupant.
Police would later search his home and find other evidence. West admitted to the crimes as part of a plea deal.
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