St. Paul Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of a Tobacco Store

MINNEAPOLIS - A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a St. Paul tobacco store, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on February 3, 2024, Derrick Lamont Powell, 33, walked into a tobacco store in St. Paul, pointed a handgun at the clerk, and said, "this is a stickup." Powell pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the clerk, counted to five, and demanded cash and cigarettes from the clerk. Powell then fled the store with $810 in cash and several packs of cigarettes.

Powell pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case.