St. Louis man pleads guilty for his role in the armed robbery of a local fast-food establishment

ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Stephen R. Clark accepted a plea of guilty from Keith Austin, age 25, on today’s date for knowingly robbing a commercial establishment and aiding and abetting his co-defendant, knowing his co-defendant was armed during the robbery.  A grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri previously indicted Austin in August 2020.  Judge Clark set sentencing for May 10, 2022. 

According to the indictment, on September 18, 2019, Austin and his co-defendant robbed the McDonald's Restaurant located at 1119 North Tucker, Saint Louis, Missouri, within the Eastern District of Missouri.  Both suspects were wearing masks and one was wearing a grey backpack.

Austin and his co-defendant left the McDonald's in a silver Chevrolet Impala. Austin removed the cash in the cash register drawer (approximately $300) and threw the drawer in a nearby sewer. 

A few days after the armed robbery, Austin was driving the silver Chevrolet Impala and was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers. Officers discovered McDonald's hats and a McDonald's paycheck stub addressed to Austin’s co-defendant in the Impala. Officers subsequently searched Austin’s home and located a grey backpack that looked like the backpack worn during the robbery. Located in the backpack were two masks, consistent with the masks worn during the robbery. Austin later confessed to his participation in the armed robbery.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.