CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Poplar Bluff couple was sentenced to more than a year in federal prison Tuesday for an April robbery at a local convenience store.
Ty Dean Farris and Kelsie J. Armor appeared separately before U.S. District Judge John A Ross for sentencing after each pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of robbery.
Ross sentenced Farris to 14 months in federal prison followed by a two-year period of supervised release, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.
Armor also was sentenced to 14 months in prison, as well as four months of home confinement, Sorrell said.
Upon Armor’s release, Sorrell said, she also will be placed on a two-year period of supervised release.
With their pleas, Farris and Armor admitted that on April 28, Farris entered the Green Forest Grocery Store.
Farris was wearing a mask over his face to cover his features, but the store clerk recognized Farris in spite of the mask.
The clerk, according to earlier reports, told authorities she believed the subject to be Farris, someone she had known for several years, based on his clothing and his voice.
Farris, the plea agreements signed by Farris and Armor say, pointed a handgun at the clerk. That handgun turned out to be a BB pistol, which closely resembled an actual firearm.
Farris reportedly demanded the clerk give him money from the cash register.
The clerk, the plea agreements further say, was afraid the handgun was an actual firearm and that she might be in danger, so she complied.
The clerk turned over the money from the drawer, as well as the bank bag, which contained an undetermined amount of money, Butler County Investigator Randle Huddleston earlier said.
Farris then left the store, returning to a vehicle that was parked in a nearby storage container business. The vehicle reportedly normally was used by Armor, who was seated in the driver’s seat in that vehicle.
The ensuing investigation reportedly revealed Armor and Farris planned the robbery and planned to use its proceeds to pay a loan due by Farris on a truck.
Armor was aware Farris was going to rob the Green Forest Grocery Store before the robbery occurred, the plea agreements say.
Armor reportedly drove away from the store for a short while, but then switched places with Farris.
The plea agreements further say Farris drove to a bridge and threw the BB pistol, a shirt, a mask and a black jacket into the stream below.
Farris then drove to his mother’s house in Stoddard County, where officers arrested Farris and Armor.
Before Farris was booked into the Butler County jail, $501.08 in cash was removed from his pants’ pocket, Huddleston said.
“Farris stated that was part of the money he had taken from Green Forest,” Huddleston said.
Jeff Darnell, owner of Green Forest Grocery, initially estimated about $700 in cash and checks had been stolen, said Huddleston.
During the execution of a search warrant on the Toyota Camry Farris and Armor had been driving, officers found $325.10 in cash and rolled coins.
Although Farris and Armor’s cases have been disposed of in federal court, Sorrell said, they both still have state charges pending in Butler County.
Farris and Armor both are charged with the Class A felony of first-degree robbery, the unclassified felony of armed criminal action and the Class D felony of stealing in Butler County.
Farris also has two unrelated cases in Butler County in which he is charged with six Class D felonies of forgery.
Farris is to appear Jan. 7 before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for a review of his three pending cases.
Armor is to appear Jan. 6 before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce for a review of her case.