Frederick Man Pleads Guilty Thurs. In Armed Robbery

He was  sentenced to five years in prison.

Frederick, Md. (KM)  A guilty plea was entered in Circuit Court by a Frederick man in connection with an armed robbery of a pizza place last year. Gary Junior Lee, Jr., 25, was given 20 years in prison, but he must serve five of those years in the Division of Correction. He also will be put on three-years supervised probation after he’s released.

“He  obviously has to get drug and alcohol testing and treatment, as he attributed this particular incident to these areas,” says State’s Attorney Charlie Smith.

Lee robbed Tony’s NY Pizza and Subs in the 5500 block of Mountville Road in Adamstown. Smith says Lee had entered the store on Friday, November 9th, 2015, and ordered a sandwich. He said he didn’t have any money, but someone who had cash would be coming soon.

Lee left the store and came back. The cashier told police that it looked like Lee was patting down his pants. “He then reached down to his ankle and pointed it at her. She described it as a gray handgun. She stated that he said then ‘give me all the money.’ She then emptied register to a total of $578,” says Smith.

Lee fled the store.

Smith says detectives with the Sheriff’s Office were able to identity Lee as a suspect by examining surveillance photos from nearby businesses. He was arrested two days later.

Smith says  the State is happy with the outcome of the case. “Five years for what he did we thought was appropriate. We recognize he is a heroin addict. When heroin addicts turn to violence, you have to incarcerate. It’s just what you have to do,” he says.