St. Paul Man Indicted for Armed Robbery of Inver Grove Heights Credit Union
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 22, 2009 |
A 29-year-old St. Paul man was indicted today in federal court in connection with the March 26, 2009, armed robbery of the Heartland Credit Union in Inver Grove Heights.
Samuel Johnson Ewing was charged with one count of armed credit union robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Ewing’s indictment alleges that on March 26 he did by force, violence and intimidation take approximately $18,605 from a teller at the credit union. It also alleges that while committing that offense, Ewing assaulted and put in jeopardy the life of another person by the use of a dangerous weapon.
According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit, at approximately 10:20 a.m. on March 26, a man, later identified as Ewing, walked into the credit union, located at 5500 S. Robert Trail. Ewing approached a staff member at the front desk, put a gun to her head and said, “get up and walk that way.”
Ewing kept the gun at the back of her head as he walked with her to the counter area, and had her put money into a bag. Ewing walked out of the credit union to a Dodge pickup truck and drove away towards Upper 55th Street.
A West St. Paul police officer, patrolling in his squad near the bank, pursued Ewing. Ewing then crashed the truck and fled on foot. The officer apprehended Ewing after a short foot chase and recovered cash in a bag, along with a silver 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun. The handgun was loaded and had a round in the chamber.
If convicted, Ewing faces a potential maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the armed robbery count and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years on the firearm count. All sentences are determined by a federal district court judge.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the West St. Paul Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan P. Petterson.
An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.