ST. LOUIS – A former employee of a downtown McDonald’s restaurant and the man who helped him rob the restaurant at gunpoint in 2019 were sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced the former employee, Ronald Scott, 23, of St. Louis County, to nine years and four months in prison. Keith Austin, 26, of St. Louis, received a six-year term. Both pleaded guilty in January to a robbery charge and a charge of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on Sept. 18, 2019, they were caught trying to open a cash register by the manager of the McDonald’s at 1119 North Tucker Boulevard. Scott pulled a gun and yelled “Get back,” before they took a cash register drawer containing about $340 and drove off in a Chevrolet Impala, their plea agreements say.
St. Louis police located the Impala two days later and arrested Austin, who admitted being one of the masked men who robbed the restaurant. Scott was arrested about a year later, and admitted pointing a gun at the manager during the robbery, the plea agreements say
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.