A federal grand jury has indicted three men for sticking up three gas stations in Roseville and Little Canada over three hours last month with what prosecutors say was a “highly realistic” airsoft gun.
Dylan Charles Jungwirth, 21, of White Bear Lake, Kenneth Toy Spight, 21, of St. Paul, and Kemonie Hurd, 18, of St. Paul, were indicted with Hobbs Act Robbery charges in U.S. District Court of Minnesota. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota.
The three men made initial appearances Tuesday and remain in custody pending further proceedings.
The Hobbs Act is commonly used by federal prosecutors to increase the penalties of a specific type of crime. Prosecutors need only prove that the natural consequences of the offense would have an effect on interstate commerce.
The trio was previously charged in Ramsey County District Court with aiding and abetting aggravated robbery in connection with the Aug. 17 crime spree, which caused preparations for the Minnesota State Fair to temporarily shut down.
“These defendants brought violence to that celebration with their armed robbery spree,” Acting U.S. Attorney of Minnesota Joseph Thompson said Wednesday in a statement. “Anyone who does that will see federal charges.”
According to the charges, Jungwirth and Spight robbed the Speedway on Rice Street near Minnesota 36 in Roseville at 5:56 a.m. A 41-year-old employee reported that after Jungwirth pushed him against the wall, he said, “Give me all the $100s — I’m sorry, but I gotta eat.” Jungwirth left with $93.75.
Jungwirth, Spight and Hurd then robbed the BP gas station on Little Canada Road by Interstate 35E in Little Canada at 8:34 a.m. Jungwirth pulled out a gun, jumped over the counter and pointed the gun at the 38-year-old clerk. He pushed her to the register, “jammed the gun in her neck, and forced her to open the cash drawer,” the charges said.
A half-hour later, at 9:05 a.m., the trio robbed a second BP station on Cleveland Avenue at County Road D West in Roseville. The clerk was injured after he refused to give up his wallet and was hit on the head with a gun, the charges said.
After that robbery, law enforcement spotted the suspect’s vehicle — a Ford Fusion, which was stolen from Robbinsdale a day earlier, and pursued it into St. Paul, where the defendants crashed. Spight was taken into custody, while the other two fled on foot into the woods and were later arrested.
Because the pursuit and search took place near the Fairgrounds, law enforcement sent out an emergency alert, telling people the Fairgrounds were closed due to police activity in the area. Law enforcement later issued a second “all clear” alert.
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