The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged an East St. Louis man for allegedly stealing from an Arnold business. The man allegedly stole $500 from a safe at the Play It Again Sports store, 223 Arnold Crossroads Center, according to court documents.
Ronald Dwight Adams, 42, has been charged with second-degree burglary, a class D felony; and stealing, a class A misdemeanor, court records show.
Adams is considered a persistent offender due having at least two prior felony convictions, and the burglary charge is considered a class C felony, which is punishable by three to 10 years in prison. A class A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.
Adams was arrested on Oct. 16, and he was being held on a $47,750 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, according to jail records.
Adams allegedly entered Play It Again Sports at about 10:45 a.m. March 24 and went to a backroom that was restricted to employees only and had a sign posted on the door that said “Private.” In the office, he allegedly stole an envelope that had $500 in from an unlocked safe, according to the probable-cause statement filed by Arnold Police.
Adams hid the envelope in the waistband of his pants and left the store. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Adams’ phone, and they found a picture from the day of the alleged burglary that showed Adams wearing the same shirt and pants that he was seen wearing in surveillance video, the report said.
Court records show Adams was found guilty of felony stealing in October 2024 in St. Louis County and second-degree burglary in April 2022 in St. Charles County.
He also was on probation for second-degree burglary and felony stealing at the time of the alleged burglary in Arnold, the probable-cause statement said.