A Newburg man has been charged with five felony charges for his alleged armed robbery of the Vichy Wye Restaurant on July 7 when two masked individuals held a handgun to the head of a waitress and made another employee kneel on the floor with his hands in the air execution style.

The Maries County Sheriff’s Office last Wednesday reported Benjamin Isaiah Tolliver, 30, of Newburg, has been charged by Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby with the felony charges of first degree robbery, first degree assault-serious physical injury, armed criminal action, stealing-physically take, and first degree burglary. Maries County Associate Circuit Judge Kerry Rowden issued a warrant for his arrest and the warrant was set without bond. 

Tolliver is in the Phelps County Jail where he had been in custody since July 9 on unrelated felony crimes. Maries County Deputies, Detective Kenneth Kilmer and Lt. Scott John traveled to Phelps County during the investigation of the Vichy Wye robbery and they interviewed Tolliver there. 

Tolliver has a criminal history that spans years with crimes committed in the counties of Phelps, Franklin, Dent and Crawford, and now Maries County.

Sheriff Chris Heitman said the investigation is still ongoing and there are other leads to follow up on. Heitman said they believe they know the identity of the other perpetrator of the crime at the Vichy Wye and hope to have an arrest soon. He praised the investigative efforts of Kilmer and John and thanked the Phelps County Sheriff’s Office for its help and cooperation.