Four Indicted in Connection with Fatal Robbery of St. Louis Restaurant Owner

ST. LOUIS – Four people were indicted Wednesday in connection with the fatal robbery of a St. Louis, Missouri restaurant owner in May.

Ronnie Adam Foster, 23, of St. Louis, Mekayla Johann, 20, Larob Harris, 24, and Shonyea Jones, 24, were each indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on four felonies: conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, discharge of a firearm and discharge of a firearm resulting in death.

Jones is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. Foster is in jail facing unrelated pending charges. On July 3, Harris and Johann pleaded not guilty to charges filed in a June 30 criminal complaint.

The indictment says the robbery occurred on May 30 at the St. Louis Kitchen, 819 Kingshighway Boulevard. During the robbery, a gun was discharged, causing the death of “F.P.,” the indictment says.

The criminal complaint against Harris and Johann, an employee of the restaurant, says the restaurant owner was fatally shot and another employee was shot in the leg but survived. Both had just left the restaurant after locking up for the night. After the shooting, someone took a backpack containing cash proceeds from the restaurant, the complaint says.

The complaint says a June 30 search recovered a Glock 23 pistol used in the robbery and an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm “consistent with” the murder weapon.

Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The robbery conspiracy and robbery charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The discharge of a firearm charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The discharge of a firearm resulting in death charge carries a penalty of life in prison or the death sentence.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker is prosecuting the case.