Two more robberies confessed by Sherley

Historic City News learned that a 65 year-old transient who was released from prison October 17th, then re-arrested in St Augustine November 18th for the robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank located at 24 Cathedral Place, has been identified in two other local robberies.

Kevin Kelshaw, Media Relations Officer for the St Johns County Sheriff, informed local reporters that Robert Keith Sherley has been identified and confessed to the robbery of Tom’s Fruits and Gifts, located in the 1800 block of A1A South, on two separate occasions.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Sherley was sentenced to nine years in prison in Volusia County in 1984 for two counts of arson. Again, in 1995, he was sentenced to a year in prison in Leon County for trafficking in stolen property.

Kelshaw said the on January 27, 2010, Sherley, wearing a pirate hat, slashed the employee’s tires, and then robbed the gift shop at knifepoint. Later the same year, Sherley was sentenced to a two-year term of imprisonment in Alachua County for grand theft. After his October 17th release, on November 17th, the day before Sherley is said to have robbed the bank; robbery detectives say he returned to the same gift shop, brandished a knife, then demanded all of the money in the cash register.

Sheriff’s Detective David Garns said that, during questioning, Sherley admitted committing the two gift shop robberies.

Sherley remains in custody in the St. Johns County Detention Facility in lieu of bonds totaling over $300,000.