2 charged in armed robbery at Alberta hotel bar

The Royal Hotel in Ponoka, Alta. in August 2023. (Google Street View)

Two people have been charged after a central Alberta hotel bar was robbed at gunpoint earlier this year.

A masked man with a gun went into the bar at the Royal Hotel in Ponoka on May 17 at 12:44 a.m. and stole a cash box, police say.

The man was chased out of the bar by two customers, when a second person with a gun threatened them.

Mounties were able to identify the men using surveillance images.

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A 24-year-old man and a 27-year-old man, both from Ponoka, have been charged with robbery, using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The 24-year-old was also charged with failure to comply with a release order condition and the 27-year-old was charged with disguise with intent, disobeying a court order, and failure to comply with a probation order.

The 27-year-old was already in custody on other charges, and will appear in court on Sept. 12 in Ponoka.

The 24-year-old will appear in court on Friday.