United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri
03/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/10/2026 14:35
St. Louis Man Accused of Robbing Vietnam Veteran at Veterans Administration Hospital
ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis man has been accused of robbing someone in the parking lot of the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis.
Lafayette Hutchins, 68, was indicted in U.S. District Court on February 18 with one count of robbery within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States, namely the parking lot of the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital. Hutchins was arrested Tuesday, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Hutchins held in jail until trial accuses Hutchins of robbing a Vietnam veteran at gunpoint.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri published this content on March 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 10, 2026 at 20:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]