San Diego

‘Cowboy Gun Bandits' Convicted in Robbery Spree

Two Los Angeles men have been convicted of carrying out a string of mostly small-scale robberies attributed to the "Cowboy Gun Bandits" -- so named because of a distinctive long-barreled Colt six-shooter used in the heists.

Dominic Dorsey, 48, of Hollywood, and Reginald Bailey, 71, of Jefferson Park, were convicted by a downtown federal jury of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce in violation of the federal Hobbs Act, and five specific Hobbs Act robberies and five counts of using a firearm during the robberies.

The pair each face a mandatory 107 years behind bars for the weapons charges alone when they are sentenced Nov. 14 by U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder. Prosecutors said each of the robberies was captured on surveillance camera, showing the masked thieves wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and face-obscuring bandanas.

However, in one instance, prior to an Encino gas station robbery, Dorsey's face and distinctive sneakers can be seen on video as he bought and pumped gas -- before he returned to rob the place wearing the same shoes and driving a similar car, prosecutors told the jury. As for the supposed "cowboy gun" that gave the case its name, the Colt 1873 revolver was never recovered.

The conspiracy count in the indictment alleges that Dorsey and Bailey participated in the winter 2013 robberies of gas stations in Woodland Hills, Newhall, Encino, Thousand Oaks and Atwater Village, and a Citibank branch in Glendale, a robbery that netted more than $55,000.

Investigators used the video footage to determine that one of the robbers was missing part of his left ring finger, like Bailey, prosecutors said. Each of the six Hobbs Act violations carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The gun violations carry potential life sentences, but also would bring mandatory minimum sentences of seven years for the first count and 25 years for each of the four additional counts.

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