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West St. Paul Man Gets 175 Days In Jail For Bank Robbery

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 37-year-old West St. Paul man has been sentenced to 175 days in jail, 10 years of probation and a $200 fine in connection with a bank robbery in May.

Police say Lewis Ross entered the TCF Bank in West St. Paul on May 31, showed a teller a note, which stated he had a gun, and demanded money.

The teller gave him $200, which contained a dye-pack, and Ross fled the scene.

At a nearby store, an employee told police he saw a man fitting the robber's description running through the property and dropping some items behind the business. Police located the area identified by the employee and found items worn by the robber and red-stained fragments of money. They also found an envelope covered in red dye with a note that said, "I have a gun please don't make me use it give me the money before it get ugly okay."

Police tracked Ross down at his apartment and took him into custody. Ross told police his landlord told him he needed to come up with rent money that day or he would be evicted.

He said after he took the money from the bank, it began "smoking
red" so he threw it on the ground.

Officers noted several red stains in Ross' apartment, including red-stained towels and red stains on his socks, fingers and hands.

Ross pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated robbery on July 27.

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