A St. Louis man, Divontay Scott, has owned up to his involvement in an armed robbery of a Family Dollar store, which took place back in October 2023. According to U.S. Attorney's Office official reports, the 34-year-old pled guilty to several felony charges, including robbery, possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the robbery, witnesses identified Scott as he was a regular customer, despite his face being partially covered. Caught on store video earlier that day, Scott's identity became increasingly indefensible when a witness spotted him later that evening at another business and promptly contacted the police. He sealed his fate after having sent texts to his paramour, which divulged his robbery plans and even flaunted a picture of the stolen $114, as per his plea agreement.
Scott is now facing the consequences of his actions with sentencing scheduled for July 8. It has been agreed upon by both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Scott’s defense attorney to recommend an 11-year prison term. This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake.
The crime falls under the scope of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at uniting law enforcement at all levels with the communities they serve, targeting the reduction of violent crime and gun violence. With the main goal of creating safer neighborhoods, PSN's rejuvenated strategies, launched in May 2021, include fostering trust within communities and supporting local organizations that work towards preventing violence before it erupts.
