A man from Florissant, Missouri on Monday admitted robbing three banks, shooting at Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies, and forcing his way into a woman’s apartment at gunpoint.
Cameron A. Thomas, 31, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry to two counts of armed bank robbery, bank robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Thomas admitted that on Oct. 24, 2020, while dressed as a woman, he handed a note that said, “Put money in the bag,” to a teller at the First Community State Bank in Jefferson County.
Three days later, again while dressed as a woman, Thomas entered the Electro Savings Credit Union in St. Louis County, pointed a silver semiautomatic pistol at a teller, and said, “Give me all your money.” Thomas put the money in a purse and ran out of the credit union.
The next day, Thomas returned to the First Community State Bank wearing a red coat, black pants, and a surgical mask. Thomas pointed a pistol at an employee and said, “This is a robbery, put your hands up.” He then put a white plastic bag on the counter and told another employee to fill it up.
Employees called the police, and a Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputy who was in the area tried to stop Thomas, who was in a Mercedes Benz. Thomas fled, leading authorities on a chase that ended at the Walden Pond apartments in High Ridge. Thomas fled on foot, firing multiple times at the deputies following him.
He then forced his way into a woman’s apartment at gunpoint. Deputies knocked at the door and pulled the woman from the apartment when she signaled to them that something was wrong. Before Thomas was finally arrested, he’d changed into the woman’s clothes and hidden his 9mm pistol inside the apartment.
Thomas also admitted that two days before the robbery, he was in possession of an AK-47-style assault rifle. Police found the rifle after a traffic crash.
Thomas is a convicted felon, having been sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2012 for second-degree robbery.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9. The discharge of a firearm count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other charge, and the brandishing charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, consecutive to other charges.
The case was investigated by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
