Gary Warren Hancock, Jr., Armed Robbery, Maryland 2013

A 37-year-old man from Temple Hills, Maryland, has been convicted of armed robbery after he pistol-whipped an employee at a Pizza Hut in Bowie and demanded cash.

Gary Warren Hancock, Jr., was convicted of robbery, brandishing a firearm during the robbery, and being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition, according to court documents.

The crime occurred on May 2, 2013 at the Pizza Hut located at 1290 Crain Highway NW, Bowie, Maryland. Hancock entered the restaurant, pointed a handgun at an employee, and demanded the opening of a safe. When the employee refused, Hancock demanded money from the cash register.

The employee complied, and Hancock fled the scene on a motorcycle. A Bowie City Police Department officer happened to be on patrol outside the Pizza Hut and was alerted to the robbery. The officer gave chase and eventually apprehended Hancock after he crashed his motorcycle.

Law enforcement officers recovered the stolen money and a loaded firearm from the scene. Hancock has a lengthy history of felonies, including carjacking, kidnapping, and attempted robbery, making him ineligible to possess a firearm or ammunition.

Hancock faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the robbery, a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for using a firearm during the robbery, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition.

Hancock is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel. United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Bowie and Prince George’s County Police Departments, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation.

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