A St. Louis man admitted in federal court on Thursday to committing two armed robberies at businesses in St. Louis County in January 2024, each involving the use of a firearm to threaten employees.
Stanley E. Alford, 58, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges stem from a pair of incidents that occurred within two days.
Prosecutors said Alford robbed a retail store located on Gravois Bluffs Boulevard in Fenton on January 24, 2024. According to court documents, Alford initially entered the store under the pretense of requesting change but left when informed the register could not be opened. He returned shortly afterward, allegedly to return a purchased item. When the cashier opened the drawer, Alford produced a handgun and demanded the cash drawer. He then instructed the employee to place the money in a bag and struck her in the head with the gun barrel…