Three men have been indicted in connection with the armed robbery of a fast food restaurant in St. Louis, according to federal authorities.
Reuel Clower, 43, and Michael Upchurch, 41, both from St. Louis, along with Carlos D. Nelson, 23, of Belleville, Illinois, face charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Additionally, Clower and Upchurch were charged with being felons in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on September 24 the three men robbed a restaurant located in the 600 block of North Kingshighway Boulevard. According to court documents seeking Nelson’s detention before trial, the suspects searched employees for valuables and forced them to the ground before taking cash from the register.
All three suspects have been held in custody since November 5.
Authorities emphasized that “charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and addressing violent crime through coordinated efforts from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
