St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Park Midway Bank
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 10, 2011 |
A 57-year-old St. Paul man pled guilty earlier today in federal court in St. Paul in connection with the August 4, 2010, armed robbery of the Park Midway Bank, on Como Avenue, in St. Paul. Robert Lee Russell, Jr., pled guilty to one count of armed bank robbery before United States District Court Judge Richard H. Kyle. Russell was indicted on September 9, 2010.
In his plea agreement, Russell admitted stealing $1,457 from the bank and putting the life of another person in jeopardy by using a firearm during the robbery.
According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, the bank was robbed at 2:30 p.m. The robber, later identified as Russell, walked into the building, pulling a mask down over his face and waving a handgun. After demanding and receiving money, he then ordered a teller to leave with him. The teller complied, but once outside, the robber fled alone. Immediately, a bank security guard ran to check on the teller. He then gave chase to the robber. During the chase, the robber reportedly fired his gun at least one time at the officer.
Two nearby Xcel Energy employees in a company truck observed the chase. They also saw the robber get into a Dodge Caravan. As they pulled along side the van, they, too, witnessed the robber holding a handgun. The van, however, then sped away.
A short time later, police spoke with the owner of the van. The owner reported that Russell had borrowed the van earlier in the day. Officers also learned that Russell had purchased some clothes and a backpack at a Stillwater Wal-Mart immediately following the robbery. The officers subsequently recovered from that store two bait bills obtained by the robber during the heist.
Finally, just after midnight, the Wisconsin State Patrol reported responding to a motor vehicle crash involving the same van. At the scene of the accident, Russell was found and arrested for the bank robbery. An initial search of the van yielded $1,361 in cash inside the recently purchased backpack.
For his crime, Russell faces a potential maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Judge Kyle will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled.
This case is the result of an investigation by the St. Paul Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Dunne.