Court documents: Man charged with attempted robbery set up staged drug deal

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A St. Louis man who was arrested Friday in Perry County on drug and attempted robbery charges didn't have drugs on him, but had arranged to sell heroin to a confidential informant, according to court documents.

Timmy Tyrell Johnson, 32, was arrested in part based on officers' beliefs that he was planning to rob an informant during a staged heroin deal.

According to a Perry County sheriff's office probable cause affidavit, Johnson allegedly was planning to sell 1.5 grams of heroin to an informant in a controlled purchase arranged by the Perry County sheriff's office, the SEMO Drug Task Force and the Perryville Police Department. The informant agreed to buy the heroin for $300 and give Johnson $60 for gas money to travel from St. Louis to Perryville, according to court records.

When Johnson and two other men arrived at a designated location, officers became concerned that Johnson was planning to rob the informant, because he "was repeatedly asking about the money," according to a probable cause statement. Before Johnson made contact with the informant, he was arrested.

"From my past and experiences, most people coming from larger cities are known to attempt to rip money off from people in the smaller cities," arresting officer Cpl. Jason Kelley of the Perry County Sheriff's Department said in the affidavit. Kelley stated that a member of the drug task force on the scene had "also had the same experiences," leading them to believe the informant was in danger of being robbed.

Sheriff Gary J. Schaaf said Monday that the determination to charge Johnson with attempted robbery was made after "taking everything into account," including that one of the men with Johnson said he was there "to be used as an intimidation factor," according to officer statement.

Johnson allegedly claimed that the deal was set up in order to collect money owed to him by the informant's boyfriend.

No drugs were reported to have been confiscated from the suspect at the scene.

"We suspect that he actually had it and swallowed it," Schaaf said.

Schaaf said a search warrant was obtained and the suspect was under observation Monday at the hospital as officials wait "for nature to take its course."

Johnson was charged with felony attempted distribution/delivery of a controlled substance and felony attempted robbery. He is being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

No lawyer was listed for Johnson in court records.

salderman@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Perryville, MO

St. Louis, MO