34 Years for Armed Robber Perkins

ST. LOUIS – Ronald O. Perkins, 30, of Black Jack, Missouri, will spend the next 34 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of a brazen string of armed robberies that stretched across two states. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down the sentence Thursday, calling the evidence against Perkins “overwhelming.” The robberies, committed in 2023, left a trail of terrified employees and customers in their wake – all for a paltry $1,650.

The first strike came September 8, 2023, at a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis. Perkins, armed with a handgun, demanded money and snatched cash from the register. But the situation escalated when an employee intervened, and Perkins responded by firing multiple shots. He didn’t stop there. Less than two months later, on November 8th, he hit a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, making off with cash and cigarettes.

The spree continued with ruthless efficiency. Later that same day, Perkins robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, again stealing cash. Four days after that, he targeted another gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County. Then, on November 17, 2023, he crossed state lines, robbing a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois. Each robbery followed the same terrifying pattern: a gun, a demand for money, and a callous disregard for the lives of those inside.

Federal prosecutors presented a mountain of evidence at Perkins’ April trial, including surveillance video, physical evidence, and electronic records that definitively linked him to all five robberies. Crucially, authorities recovered the handgun used in the initial Riverview Drive shooting – a ballistic match confirmed it was the same weapon Perkins carried during the crimes. The gun was found hidden in his pants when apprehended.

“Use of a firearm during a crime of violence can subject you to a sentence of seven years in prison consecutive to any other charge,” Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake stated after the sentencing. “In Ronald Perkins’ case, that meant he faced at least 31 years in prison. It’s a very old cliché, but violent crime really does not pay. He netted a total of $1,650…that works out to just pennies for each day that he will spend in prison.” The jury convicted Perkins of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm, and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker led the prosecution. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program focused on reducing violent crime and making communities safer. Perkins’ sentence serves as a stark reminder that those who terrorize communities with gun violence will face the full force of the law.

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