A Postal Service employee in St. Louis, MO has admitted that she helped her boyfriend rob the Post Office branch where she worked.
Arielle Steed, 27, of St. Louis pleaded guilty in court this week to one felony charge of aiding and abetting the robbery of a United States Postal employee.
According to court documents, in early December 2018, Steed and co-defendant Dywane Upchurch planned to rob the U.S. Post Office in Richmond Heights located on Big Bend Boulevard. Steed was a teller at the post office and was in a relationship with Upchurch.
After the post office closed on December 6, 2018, Steed took the cash from the registers and stacked it on the counter. There was only one other employee in the building at that point.
Upchurch then entered the rear door of the post office wearing all black and a surgical mask. He was armed with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
Once inside, Upchurch brandished the firearm and forced Steed and the other employee into a restroom. He then went to the counter and stole approximately $8,800 in cash.
Steed faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges. According to data from FedsDataCenter.com, Steed had an annual salary of $45,345 in her position with the Postal Service.
Upchurch pled on October 4, 2019 to felon in possession of a firearm and assaulting a U.S. Postal employee while committing a robbery. Sentencing is set for January 16, 2020.
