Downtown St. Louis business burglar sentenced in federal court

ST. LOUIS – An Overland, Missouri, man appeared in federal court in downtown St. Louis to be sentenced for a series of business burglaries in early 2022.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said a jury convicted Eric Pritchett, 34, in May 2024 of two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of stealing.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Pritchett broke into three buildings between January 3 and March 12, 2022. The break-ins occurred at Mastermind Room at 440 North 15th Street, AECom headquarters at 100 North Broadway, and C Edge Software Consultants at 500 North 13th Street.

In the Mastermind Room break-in, on Jan. 3, 2022, Pritchett took off with $550 worth of cash from a register and two miniature radios worth $300 each. Per court records, Pritchett was arrested two days after the break-in and identified while wearing the same clothes he reportedly wore during the break-in.

In the AEcom break-in on Jan. 27, 2022, Pritchett took off with at least 30 computers worth a combined $73,000. He placed the laptops in a recycling bin before leaving the laptops with the recycling bin connected to a tow truck.

In the C Edge Software break-in, on March 12, 2022, Pritchett took off with many expensive items, including cash register drawers, file cabinets, a dishwater and several bottles.

Surveillance cameras captured all three break-ins and thefts. One officer recently reviewed footage from all three and identified Pritchett as the suspect in those crimes after previous contact with him.

Because Pritchett is a prior and persistent offender, a U.S. District Court judge handed down the maximum sentences. Pritchett will serve 10-year terms for the burglary charges (concurrent) and a 15-year sentence for stealing.

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