Robber gets 87 years in prison
A man found guilty earlier this year of eight felonies connected to a November 2015 Northeast Texas crime spree was sent e n ce d to 1,054 months Friday by a federal judge in Texar-kana. The sentence of more than 87 years is the equivalent of a life sentence for 50-year-old Bobby Wayne Lance, who was found guilty by a jury in March of all eight counts listed in a federal indictment in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas.
Lance robbed a Bowie County convenience store, a Lamar County movie theater and a Franklin County bank on Nov. 8, 14, and 17, respectively, in 2015. Lance also stole a pickup truck from an employee as he fled the bank heist, netting himself additional charges, including car jacking.
Lance appeared in cuffs and shackles Friday morning with Texarkana lawyer Jeff Harrelson for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III. Before pronouncing Lance’s punishment, Schroeder addressed
objections Harrelson made to findings regarding where Lance fell on federal sentencing guidelines in a presentence investigation report prepared by federal probation officials.
“There was no double counting,” Schroeder said and mentioned that “the case law goes against you,” referring to Harrelson’s attempts to lower the number of years Lance would receive.
Four of the counts the jury found Lance guilty of committing, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, include sentences that by law must be served consecutively to any other terms. Schroeder told Lance the lengthy sentence is in keeping with the sentence he would have chosen in absence of federal guidelines and said he considered the testimony of the 25 witnesses who took the stand during Lance’s trial when arriving at a sentencing decision in conformity with federal guidelines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker, who represented the government at Lance’s trial along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Ross and Robert Wells, said Lance’s victims continue to suffer.
“I believe the court’s sentence sends a strong and clear message to any future wouldbe defendants,” Locker said at the hearing. “He has eight prior convictions for aggravated robbery … and considering the number of people who will carry with them for the rest of their lives the terror of those moments when Mr. Lance walked through the door.”
Locker said the Carter’s Store in DeKalb closed after the robbery. The former clerk who was forced to empty the businesses coffers as Lance urged her to hurry while pointing a gun at her testified at trial that the trauma she experienced continues to follow her.
In addition to a mandatory $800 special assessment, Schroeder also ordered Lance to pay more than $23,000 in restitution and ordered Lance to complete an inmate financial responsibility program while in prison. Lance received credit for the time he has spent in jail since his arrest Nov. 20, 2015. Lance could receive up to 54 days per year credit toward his sentence for good behavior. There is no parole from a federal prison sentence.