Edwin Olaf Vick
A Shakopee man who pled guilty to robbing the Grand Portage Trading Post at gunpoint last fall may be spending the next four years in a state prison.
Edwin Olaf Vick, 74, was sentenced in Cook County court Aug. 18 on felony charges of first-degree aggravated robbery, to which he pled guilty July 27. Judge Kenneth Sandvik dismissed additional charges of a felon convicted of a crime of violence (firearm violation); three counts of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon; and theft.
Vick was remanded to sheriff ’s deputies and placed in the custody of the commissioner of corrections at the Minnesota State Correctional Facility at St. Cloud for the next 50 months. The period of incarceration is less than the maximum possible of 69 months. Vick will receive credit for 154 days, which have already been served. In addition, he was ordered to pay $90 in court costs.
The charges stem from an incident at 10:45 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2009, when cashiers at the casino window of the Trading Post were victims of an armed robbery. During the robbery, in which the suspect wore a ski mask and rubber dishwashing gloves, a rifle with a silver scope was used. No shots were fired and no one was physically injured.
Vick, who also resides in Lutsen, was arrested the following week in the Twin Cities based on a tip received by the sheriff ’s department and pictures taken by surveillance cameras in the store. Vick had been charged with crimes indirectly related to the robbery: felon in possession of a firearm; failure to register as a sex offender; and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance. The sex offender requirement stemmed from a conviction in 1998.
During Vick’s court appearance for sentencing, Steve Sopata, assistant casino manager, read a statement on behalf of “the Grand Portage Community, the employees of Grand Portage Lodge and Casino and Trading Post, and the victims directly affected by this case.”
Sopata read, “It has been nearly eleven months since Mr. Vick walked into our Trading Post Convenience Store and Casino, brandished a weapon, forced a Security Officer to the floor, and stole in excess of $7,700.00 from two separate cashiers. Although time has moved on, many of the effects that were caused by Mr. Vick’s actions still remain.
“Grand Portage is a small, intimate community that knows, trusts, and cares for one another. Everyone who lives and works in this community is comforted by this intimacy, particularly when it comes to the safety and security of themselves and their families. Mr. Vick destroyed that sense of safety and security when he forcefully used his weapon to threaten and scare our employees into complying with his demands.”
Sopata spoke of the importance of the Trading Post to the community, as not just a place to buy gas and groceries, but as a place cared for and maintained by the people that live in the community. “Mr. Vick did not assault or commit theft from a convenience store or a casino; he assaulted and stole from every single person that lives and works in this community.”
He also spoke of the pain and anguish felt by the employees directly threatened by Mr. Vick’s actions, noting that all were unable to continue working in that location. “The suffering and fear that the employees have experienced cannot be comprehended,” said Sopata.
For those reasons, as well as for the significant costs expended by the Trading Post and Casino during the investigation and in increased security and personnel costs, Sopata said the Grand Portage community asked that Vick be given the maximum allowable sentence under law.
The robbery incident marked the second time the Trading Post has been the victim of an armed robbery; the first occurred on May 7, 2006. That suspect was described as a male 5’7” – 5’9”, medium build, who was wearing a dark-colored baseball hat, light gray or white hooded sweatshirt, a gray knit jacket with large black leather triangle stitching on each shoulder, and dark colored pants. He is still at large.
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