Milton Ohlsen Associate Pleads Guilty to Concealing Information About the Clayton Parking Garage Bombing |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri
August 2, 2011
ST. LOUIS—The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Aaron Reid entered a guilty plea to the crime of misprision of a felony for having concealed and misrepresented his knowledge of Milton Ohlsen’s involvement in the October 16, 2008 bombing in the Plaza at Clayton parking garage when questioned by authorities.
According to court documents, Reid concealed that he had been with Ohlsen on October 15, 2008, when they had parked in the vicinity of the Plaza parking garage and parted company to perform some personal errands. Ohlsen was wearing a red poncho at the time and had a gift basket to deliver. Parking garage video cameras captured images of a person wearing a red poncho with a gift basket entering the garage. A bomb concealed in the gift basket exploded the next day on October 16, 2008, seriously injuring John Gillis.
AARON REID, St. Louis, Missouri, pled guilty to a one-count information charging misprision of a felony before United States District Judge E. Richard Weber. Sentencing is set on October 26, 2011.
Details of any plea agreement were not available, as the plea agreement was ordered sealed by the Judge. United States Attorney Richard Callahan emphasized that there was no evidence nor did officials believe that Reid had any knowledge of Ohlsen’s intentions in advance of the bombing. “The crux of the crime,” Callahan said, “was Reid’s subsequent concealment of crucial information when it became apparent that Ohlsen might be involved in the bombing. Callahan stated that Reid now was cooperating with authorities.
This charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
The case was investigated by ATF, the St. Louis County and Clayton Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Evidence Response Team, and the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Costantin is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.