St. Paul Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Inver Grove Heights Credit Union

February 11, 2010 - A 29-year-old St. Paul man was sentenced this morning in federal court for the March 2009 armed robbery of the Heartland Credit Union in Inver Grove Heights. In federal court in Minneapolis, United States District Court Judge David S. Doty sentenced Samuel Johnson Ewing to 139 months for robbing the credit union and 84 months for brandishing a firearm during that robbery, for a total of 223 months in prison for his crime. Ewing was indicted on April 21, 2009, and was convicted by a federal trial jury on October 20, 2009.

Following today’s sentencing, Ralph S. Boelter, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis District Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led the investigation in this case, said, “This case has been a terrific example of how solid reactive policing on the part of West St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights police departments can act as an effective complement to FBI investigative efforts to target violent crime in our communities.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, Ewing brandished a nine-millimeter, semiautomatic handgun while stealing $18,605 from the credit union, which is located at 5500 South Robert Trail. A Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit filed in the case states that at approximately 10:20 a.m., on March 26, 2009, a man, later identified as Ewing, walked into the credit union, approached a female employee at the front desk, put a gun to her head, and ordered her to move to the counter area. Ewing then directed credit union staff to put money in a bag.

After taking the bag of money, Ewing left the building, got behind the wheel of a Dodge pickup, and drove toward Upper 55th Street. A West St. Paul police officer patrolling nearby in his squad car spotted Ewing and gave chase. Shortly, Ewing crashed the truck and fled on foot. The officer pursued him, soon apprehending him. The officer recovered the bag of cash as well as the handgun. The handgun was loaded, with a round in the chamber.

This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI, the West St. Paul Police Department and the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan P. Petterson.