St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Multiple Robberies
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri to 22 years in prison for the armed robbery of four stores and for trying to rob a fifth.
Demetrius Smith, 35, pleaded guilty July 25, just before his jury trial was set to begin, to four robbery counts and one attempted robbery. He admitted committing armed robberies of a T-Mobile store in Creve Coeur on Nov. 15, 2018, a MetroPCS in Bridgeton on Nov. 21, 2018 and a Bucky’s Express gas station and a QuikTrip in Maryland Heights on Nov. 24, 2018. He also tried to rob a 7-Eleven in St. Louis County on Nov. 24, 2018.
A total of six separate employees were present during the robberies, including a woman who was grabbed, threatened and forced to her knees by Smith, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel said during Thursday’s sentencing hearing.
Smith used his cell phone to call the stores before the robberies to see if a manager was present, because he thought a manager was more likely to be able to access the safe. He then walked by the stores, waiting for a moment when there were no customers and only a single employee in the store before robbing it. If a customer came in during the robbery, he abandoned the robbery and fled.
On November 26, 2018, police from the Overland Police Department located Smith at his apartment as they were investigating the robbery of the Bucky’s Express. Police searched the car that Smith rented and used during the robberies and found a duffel bag, gloves and clothing that he used at some of the robberies and the firearm he used in all five robberies.
In addition to the prison time, Judge White ordered Smith to pay $25,370 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Overland Police Department, the Bridgeton Police Department, the Creve Coeur Police Department, the Maryland Heights Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
