A Florida liquor store clerk who told deputies that a masked man had robbed the liquor store where she worked is now accused of helping plan the holdup herself after surveillance footage, a Crime Stoppers tip and another suspect’s account changed the direction of the investigation.
Renee Lynn Bedford, 46, and Richard Benson Lassiter, 47, were arrested after the Sept. 20 robbery at Citrus Liquors in Inverness. Bedford had been working alone when she reported that a man wearing a Michael Myers mask entered the store and demanded money.
A Citrus County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit filed in Citrus County court records says the store later determined that $3,018 had been taken. Detectives eventually accused Bedford of helping plan the robbery and Lassiter of carrying it out.
Their cases remain open. Lassiter has entered a written not-guilty plea and demanded a jury trial, while Bedford’s current court case lists six charges, including robbery with a firearm, grand theft, two controlled-substance possession counts, drug paraphernalia and perjury not in an official proceeding.
Surveillance Showed a White Man, Not the Description Bedford Gave
The sheriff’s affidavit says the first 911 information described the robber as a Black man wearing a Michael Myers-themed mask, carrying a black backpack and armed with what Bedford said was a black firearm.
Bedford later gave a sworn, audio-recorded statement in which she again described the man as Black and said he had a deep voice. She told the detective that she initially thought the robbery was a prank and began laughing, but later said she was in an intense state of fear after the man repeated his demand and displayed what she believed was a gun.
Deputies reviewing the store’s cameras quickly identified one major discrepancy: the masked man was visibly white. The affidavit says his hands, forearm, cheeks and neck remained exposed, allowing investigators to determine his race despite the mask.
The recordings had no audio, but detectives also focused on Bedford’s actions. According to the affidavit, she could be seen smiling and laughing while handing over cash and a zippered bank bag and appeared to engage in casual conversation with the masked man.
Investigators said the man had been out of the store for about 20 seconds before Bedford pressed the panic alarm beside the register. The affidavit says roughly another two minutes passed before she picked up a phone to call 911. The store’s owners later audited their financial system and determined that $3,018 was missing.
The affidavit also leaves an important question about the alleged firearm. Bedford said the robber displayed a black pistol, but the detective wrote that the surveillance footage did not clearly show a firearm. Investigators could see a shape beneath the man’s clothing that appeared consistent with one, along with hand movements they believed were consistent with threatening that he had a weapon.
A Crime Stoppers Tip Led Detectives to Lassiter
The sheriff’s office circulated information about the masked man while investigators continued reviewing surveillance from the liquor store and surrounding properties. On Sept. 22, Citrus County Crime Stoppers received an anonymous tip identifying Lassiter as a possible suspect.
The tipster pointed to similarities in his build, beard and footwear. Detectives also reviewed video showing the robber arriving by bicycle, disappearing behind the store, changing into dark clothing and the Michael Myers mask, then leaving on the same bicycle after the robbery.
According to the affidavit, detectives went to Lassiter’s residence later that day. During a phone call with his wife, Lassiter allegedly acknowledged involvement and indicated that he had not acted alone and that the stolen cash was still inside the home.
Lassiter later returned and agreed to an interview after being advised of his rights. The affidavit says he told detectives that Bedford had introduced the idea of robbing Citrus Liquors during a conversation at the store.
He allegedly said Bedford told him the surveillance system did not record audio and that a robbery on a Sunday after 4 p.m. would produce more cash because deposits were not made until Monday. Investigators said Lassiter described an agreement to split the proceeds 50/50 and said he and Bedford had exchanged phone numbers.
Lassiter allegedly admitted riding his mountain bicycle to the store, putting on black clothing and the Michael Myers mask and demanding money. He denied carrying a firearm during the robbery, despite the firearm allegation that remains part of his current charge.
The affidavit says Lassiter claimed he took $40 from the stolen money and used it to purchase what he described as prescription THC products. He said the rest was hidden inside the residence and that the mask, clothing, shoes and backpack had already been discarded with the household trash.
Detectives recovered a Regions Bank zippered bag containing $2,968. The bag matched the one seen in the store surveillance footage. The store had calculated that $3,018 was taken. Lassiter’s claimed $40 expenditure plus the $2,968 recovery totals $3,008; the affidavit does not explain the remaining $10 difference.
The Store Owner Also Questioned How the Cash Had Been Prepared
After interviewing Lassiter, detectives returned to Citrus Liquors, where Bedford was still working.
Before speaking with her, the detective contacted one of the store’s owners. According to the affidavit, the owner had repeatedly reviewed the surveillance video and had become suspicious of Bedford’s behavior during the robbery.
The owner also told detectives that Bedford had placed money from multiple dates into a single bank bag. The store’s normal practice, according to the affidavit, was to keep each day’s money in separate bags away from the register. Investigators said that meant several days of cash had been consolidated into one bag that could be handed to the masked man.
The owner also reported that Bedford had behaved unusually after the robbery and had asked to receive her pay earlier than her normal payroll schedule.
Bedford was advised of her rights and denied knowing about or participating in a robbery plan. The detective wrote that she became increasingly nervous during the interview, and investigators said they developed probable cause to arrest her.
Deputies Say Drugs Were Found in Bedford’s Pocket
As Bedford was being arrested, a deputy searched her and allegedly found multiple plastic bags in her pants pocket.
The affidavit says one bag contained less than a gram of crystalline material suspected to be methamphetamine, while another contained a powder believed to be fentanyl. Deputies also found a short blue plastic straw with powder residue.
Field tests produced presumptive positive results for methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to the affidavit. Residue in the straw also produced a presumptive positive result for fentanyl.
Bedford denied that the drugs belonged to her. Investigators said she claimed she had found them in the store bathroom about two hours earlier, put them in her pocket and intended to tell the store owner. She allegedly said an unidentified female customer had left them behind.
The current court docket in case 2026 CF 001166 A lists six pending charges: first-degree felony robbery with a firearm, third-degree felony grand theft involving property valued at $750 or more but less than $5,000, two third-degree felony controlled-substance possession counts, first-degree misdemeanor possession or use of drug paraphernalia and first-degree misdemeanor perjury not in an official proceeding.
Both New Robbery Cases Remain Open
Lassiter’s case, 2026 CF 001150 A, remains open. Court records list one count of robbery with a firearm, a first-degree felony, and one count of grand theft involving property valued at $750 or more but less than $5,000, a third-degree felony.
On Sept. 25, Lassiter’s attorney filed a written plea of not guilty and a demand for a jury trial. His previously scheduled Nov. 2 arraignment was later marked canceled, while the docket lists a felony pretrial conference for that date at the Citrus County Detention Facility.
First-appearance paperwork also imposed a no-contact condition between Lassiter and Bedford.
Bedford’s robbery case is likewise open, with an arraignment listed for Nov. 2 at the county jail. Court records also show that she already had a separate pending felony case before the liquor-store arrest.
That case, 2026 CF 000406 A, charges Bedford with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an alleged March incident. She had posted a $5,000 surety bond in April. The docket records an order revoking her bond and pretrial release on Sept. 24 and now lists a Nov. 2 pretrial conference at the county jail.
The robbery allegations against Bedford and Lassiter remain pending and have not been proven at trial.