A 47-year-old Austin man and his wife both pleaded guilty to charges after he robbed the Apollo III convenience store to allegedly pay child support in late December.

Timothy Gordon Lester, 47, was convicted in Mower County District Court with felony simple robbery; he’d also been charged with gross misdemeanor fifth-degree drug possession.

His wife, Barbara Lee Lester, 45, also pleaded guilty to fifth-degree drug possession.

According to court records, at about 8:41 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2016, Timothy entered Apollo III wearing a dark coat with a hood over his head and a dark blue facemask with the eyes and mouth cut out. He at first asked how late the shop was open and left after saying he forgot his money. He returned a few minutes later and told a worker, “Excuse me, sir, this is a robbery. I’m going to need you to go in the back and count to 400.”

Timothy did not appear to have a weapon, but the clerk complied and went to the back of the store. A few moments later, Timothy fled the scene with $1,198.97. The worker called police, who arrived a few minutes later.

On surveillance video, it appeared Timothy knew how to access the cash register and that he had knowledge of the surveillance system.

On Dec. 27, Mower County Health and Human Services contacted police to tell them Timothy had just paid $1,200 on back child support and that he had formerly worked at Apollo III.

Police interviewed Timothy, who said he was able to make the payment through money he and Barbara received as wedding presents and that he’d been at home the entire night of Dec. 26 with friends.

Police contacted one of the friends — after Timothy gave them a wrong number — but the friend was not with him that night. She had however taken him to a bank on Dec. 27 to exchange a sandwich bag filled with small bills for larger ones to make his child support payment. Timothy told her his former cellmate at the jail had given him the money, and she exchanged the bills for him before dropping him off at the Mower County Jail and Justice Center.

Police interviewed Timothy again and took him into custody.

Police executed a search warrant at the Lesters’ residence, where they seized a blue puffy vest, a dark hooded jacket and a pair of tan shoes.

They also found two digital scales, a meth pipe, 0.30 grams of methamphetamine, three marijuana pipes, a pair of handcuffs and a pipe cleaner.

Barbara admitted to using meth and was arrested.

Timothy continued to say he got the money for child support from friends and Barbara, and he denied using meth. He attributed the drugs to Barbara and said it “explained a lot about her recent behavior.”

Barbara told police she and Timothy both used meth; however, she said they were at home filling out online job applications at the time of the robbery.

The Lesters are both slated for sentencing hearings on March 16.