Man Convicted of Downtown Business Break-ins
June 27, 2024

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 26, 2024) — Eric A. Pritchett, 34, was convicted of stealing more than $25,000 worth of computers, cash and other property from downtown businesses in 2022.


On January 27, 2022, Pritchett illegally entered a business in the 100 block of North Broadway and stole computers worth more than $25,000. On March 12, 2022, he illegally entered a business in the 500 block of North 13th Street and stole a filing cabinet, cash register drawers and a dishwasher.


“The safety and security of our downtown businesses are essential to the well-being of our city,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We are pleased to have been able to put a stop to this defendant’s habitual criminal activity.”


The case was prosecuted by Assistant Circuit Attorneys William Green and Faris Mustafa. It is the second case this year in which Pritchett was found guilty of burglarizing downtown businesses.


As a persistent offender, Pritchett could receive an increased range of punishment at his sentencing, which is set for July 25, 2024.

 

                                                          ###


For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Amber Raub

Public Information Officer

St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office

rauba@stlouiscao.org

314-589-6233 (office)

314-312-9912 (cell)

More News

May 24, 2025
ST. LOUIS, MO (May 23, 2025) — James Cody Jr., 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action by a jury on Friday for the March 8, 2022, murder of Michael Kelly, 72, in the 3900 block of North 25th Street in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The case stemmed from an ongoing landlord-tenant dispute. Mr. Kelly, the victim, was the landlord of a residence on the 4000 block of North 22nd Street, where Cody’s girlfriend, Deseray Rabb, had stopped paying rent. Despite a court-ordered eviction, Rabb refused to vacate the property. As the legal process unfolded, Cody, who was not listed on the lease but was the father of Rabb’s three children, began threatening Mr. Kelly. On the morning of the murder, surveillance footage captured Cody following Mr. Kelly as he drove to his office. Once parked, Cody was seen approaching the vehicle with a rifle and fatally shooting him. A Nissan Sentra rented under Rabb’s name was spotted in the area and later recovered with ballistic damage concealed by duct tape. Cody was arrested days later at a St. Louis County motel, where he and Rabb were staying with their children. The jury recommended a sentence of 25 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for armed criminal action. Cody’s sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025. Deseray Rabb, Cody’s girlfriend and co-defendant, was charged with accessory to first-degree murder and accessory to armed criminal action. She was acquitted by the jury. Tanja Engelhardt, Homicide Unit Chief, and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Timothy Wright and Emily Price prosecuted the case. “This was a ruthless, targeted killing over a lawful eviction. This senseless act of violence has destroyed multiple families. We will relentlessly prosecute those who choose to settle disputes with gun violence to the fullest extent of the law,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. Cody’s case number is 2322-CR01089.
May 19, 2025
Robert Harper, 43, was sentenced following a guilty plea on Monday to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action for shooting his former girlfriend.
May 15, 2025
Charles Anderson, 66, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of armed criminal action in connection to a 2021 shooting that killed two people and injured another in the 2900 block of Kossuth Avenue in the City’s Fairground neighborhood.