Convicted felon charged in Swansea armed robbery

The man captured by police before he could complete the armed robbery Sunday of the Swansea Jack in the Box is the same man convicted of robbing a Jack in the Box in Granite City in 2008.

According to a Swansea Police Department Facebook post, Courtney P. Scott, 47, was charged late Monday with armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case has prompted interest from other area police departments.

According to Swansea Police Chief Steve Johnson, “other departments have inquired about our case because of similarities” to previous armed robberies.

Johnson would not say which other departments had contacted Swansea police.

Jack in the Box employees called police at 7:15 a.m. Sunday to report an armed man inside the restaurant. Officers from Swansea and Belleville as well as St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies quickly swarmed the restaurant.

The restaurant employees left the building through a rear door while Scott was in a different part of the restaurant. Scott never left the building and was taken into custody without further incident shortly before 8 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the robbery. Scott is in custody on $200,000 bond at the St. Clair County Jail.

The Madison County State’s Attorney’s office confirmed Tuesday that Scott was convicted in the Oct. 26, 2008, armed robbery of the Jack in the Box at 3330 Nameoki Rd. in Granite City.

Charging documents in that case state Scott entered the restaurant armed with a .45 caliber handgun and demanded money. He initially made off with $4,982 but later was taken into custody following a police pursuit that ended in East St. Louis. Scott served a stint in prison for that robbery.

Tobias Wall

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 6:12 AM with the headline "Convicted felon charged in Swansea armed robbery."