U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk has sentenced Ronald O. Perkins, a 30-year-old man from Black Jack, Missouri, to 34 years in prison for committing five armed robberies across Missouri and Illinois in 2023.
Perkins was found guilty of multiple charges including four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.
The robberies began on September 8, 2023, when Perkins targeted a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis. He fired shots when an employee attempted to intervene after he demanded money and took cash from the register. Subsequent robberies occurred at various locations including Richmond Heights and Collinsville, Illinois.
Evidence presented at Perkins' trial included physical and electronic evidence as well as surveillance video linking him to all five incidents. A handgun recovered from Perkins was matched ballistically to the weapon used during the first robbery.
Judge Pitlyk described the evidence against Perkins as “overwhelming.” Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake emphasized the severity of using firearms during crimes: “Use of a firearm during a crime of violence can subject you to a sentence of seven years in prison consecutive to any other charge."
Drake also noted that despite netting $1,650 from these crimes, Perkins left several employees and customers traumatized: "All of that for what works out to be just pennies for each day that he will spend in prison.”
The case was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.
