Image from Flickr.

It’s true, you can’t be thrown in prison for 10 years for robbing a cash advance loans store. However, the situation is different if you have already served time for robbery before. A man who robbed a payday loan store in Minnesota at gun point has been sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by six years of extended supervision.

There are a few other extenuating circumstances that contributed to the lengthy sentence given to Raymundo Gallegos. He has been in prison for armed robbery before, and the judge said Gallegos didn’t show remorse for this crime. Furthermore, his charge comes with the added detail that he used “threat of force.” Two employees at the payday loan store says he threatened to shoot them in the head if they didn’t give him cash.

Details on the robbery

The robbery occurred June 16, and despite the months that have gone by, one employee is still on medical leave because she is too afraid to go to work. The manager of the cash advance loan store, called Check Mate Cash Advance Center, said he wasn’t scared, but he was angry.

After Gallegos pulled out a handgun at the payday loan store in LaCrosse county, the manager says, “”I had to stare down the barrel of that gun for two to three minutes. I have to live with the fact that, had that gun gone off, I might not be standing here today.”

A special case

Perhaps the judge was trying to make somewhat of  an example of Gallegos. The judge during the sentencing said “What you did cannot be excused in any way, shape or form.” Payday loan store robberies have become more and more common lately as criminals have figured out that the stores must keep large amounts of cash on hand in order to do business.

Unfortunately, most payday loan store robberies do not end with the robber getting 10 years in prison. Usually, the last thing heard about a payday loan store robbery is that “police are seeking a suspect.” Last week, several reports flooded in about payday loan store robberies, including incidents in Oklahoma, Kansas and Indiana. In most cases, the culprits have not been found. However, payday loan stores every day are increasing security measures, and police are starting to crack down in many areas.

Surveillance cameras are a good investment for payday loan stores.

The payday loan police have been pretty busy lately, tracking down and locking up men who are suspected of robbing multiple businesses, including several payday loan stores.

The first payday loan store robbery story I have for you comes out of Indiana, where a man is accused of robbing a shocking number of payday loan stores.

From NWI.com:

Police said they have arrested a man suspected of robbing 16 payday loan stores in Illinois and Indiana during the past four months.

Lewis Gilbert III, 45, of Schererville, was taken into custody Monday at his girlfriend’s Hammond home, but he wasn’t immediately jailed because he fell ill during questioning and was hospitalized. He was charged Tuesday with one count of robbery and he faces additional charges.

According to police, Gilbert robbed five stores in Indiana — including stores in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties — and 11 in Illinois. Valparaiso police Detective Dan Koepke estimated about $30,000 was taken during the robbery spree.

What took you so long?

Sheesh, this guy robbed 16 stores before police caught him? There must be some kind of issue up there in Indiana. Perhaps the payday loan stores need to beef up their security. And it wouldn’t hurt for the police to be a tad more diligent, methinks.

But wait, that’s not all! I have more payday loan store robbery mayhem for you. This next story takes place in Wichita, Kansas.

From the Wichita Eagle:

Wichita police have issued an arrest warrant for a second man linked to a series of robberies this summer.

Police say Lloyd Preston Adams, 36, is a suspect in recent robberies of at least two cash advance businesses — including the Loan Smart at 1716 E. Central on July 28.

…

A 31-year-old man was arrested Friday morning in connection with the case, police have said.

Investigators say the two men may be responsible for the robberies of six payday loan businesses, one restaurant and four motels between April 19 and July 28.

Serious serials

So these guys didn’t allegedly rob 16 different places like Gilbert, but they still have gotten away with quite a bit, if they are, in fact, the perpetrators.

Well, those two stories have a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel, in that at least one person has been caught in both cases. Police investigating a recent payday loan store robbery in Arizona haven’t been so lucky yet.

From ABC15.com:

Authorities say police are investigating an armed robbery at a Tempe payday loan store on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Tempe Police spokesman Scott Smith, two armed men walked into Cool Cash, near McClintock Drive and Guadalupe Road, about 2 p.m., where they demanded cash from a clerk.

They were described as Hispanic males, 5 feet 6 inches tall and 155 pounds, wearing dark shirts.

It was unclear how much money the suspects took during the robbery.

Smith said no one was hurt.

Wichita Police believe that the same man committed five payday loan store robberies in the city this month. The man possibly has an accomplice, but this surveillance photo was released of the man thought to be involved in all five robberies.

Police say:

In each occurrence, the suspect enters the store armed with a handgun with his face covered by a bandanna and demands money from the cash drawers and safes.

Not-so-merry month of June

The string of robberies started June 6, when two payday loan stores were hit in the same day. The most recent robbery was June 19. In four of the five attempts, the gunman got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. The Wichita Eagle reports:

The robber hit the EZ PayDay Advance at 2548 S. Seneca twice, on June 6 and again June 13.

Other targets were the EZ PayDay Advance stores at 3570 N. Woodlawn on June 6, Advance America Cash Advance at 1353 S. Webb Road on June 12, and Check Into Cash at 7809 E. Harry on Friday.

Partners in crime?

Police believe the robber might have an accomplice. The CW news affiliate in Kansas reports:

Police are also asking for your help in finding a possible get-away vehicle. It is described as a copper-colored Chevrolet Corsica.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wichita Police Department’s Robbery Section at 268-4177 or Crime Stoppers at 267-2111.

More mayhem in Madison

Last week, a payday lender in Madison, Wisconsin, also was robbed. News source WKOW in Wisconsin issued the following news release:

A common occurrence

Security is important at any business, but payday lenders get targeted often because they keep a large amount of cash on hand. This year payday loan stores in Washington, Indiana, Iowa, Texas, California and more have been targeted. In most cases the robberies are successful, and in many cases the thief is never caught.

One payday loan store robbery in California turned into a high-speed chase. The police showed up as the robber was leaving because an employee tripped a silent alarm located in the store. No one was armed, and the police caught the criminal.

Safety first

It is extremely important for payday lenders to equip their stores with surveillance cameras and alarms systems. For employee’s safety, there should always be more than one person working in the store.

Criminals target payday lenders because of their reputation of lots of cash and little security. It’s time for payday loans stores to take matters into their own hands by protecting their stores and preparing for the worst.

I have written a lot of posts about payday loan store robberies, and most of them go like this:

Some guy robbed a payday loan store in some state. Police are seeking him.

However, a robber in California recently was so determined to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash from a payday loan store that he took a hostage and led the police on a high-speed chase.

Lake Forest, California

That’s where this whole episode went down: Lake Forest in Orange County, California, at a store called PayDay Loan. The robber, in traditional robber style, entered the building, pointed the gun and demanded the money.

Only the store had a silent alarm system, and the cops were on their way. This is where the story gets interesting.

Wrong place, wrong time

If only this sign would work.

The police arrived just as the robber was leaving, and rather than surrender to the inevitable, he decided to involve an innocent bystander. He grabbed a a61-year-old male customer, forced him into his SUV at gunpoint and sped off with the man and the cash.

Police followed, and the robber proceeded to lead the police on a high-speed chase that at times reached speeds of 120 mph. Schools were put on lockdown, as police and suspects sped from on the freeway and around Laguna Hills and Laguna Niguel. The chase lasted about an hour.

Under arrest

Of course, the chase had to end some time. When it did, the police freed the unharmed hostage and arrested the suspect. They recovered the cash, they took the gun and they continued with the business of keeping Orange County safe.

Surveillance cameras can help keep businesses safe.

It seems that payday loan stores still haven’t coughed up the money to invest in equipment such as surveillance cameras and other security devices.

According to a local NBC affiliate, the same man attempted to rob two payday loan stores over the weekend in Wichita, Kansas. It appears from news reports that there was one attempted robbery followed by a successful robbery on Sunday.

Strange things afoot

In the first incident, according to KSN News 3, the suspect entered an E Z Payday Advance store at 3570 N. Woodlawn. An employee of E Z Payday Advance was in the parking lot, and the employee notified the police.

If there were no employees inside the E Z Payday Advance store, how did the suspect enter the building? I should think that the doors would be locked if there was no one inside. How the suspect was able to enter the building at 3570 N. Woodlawn remains unclear.

The one that got away

Unfortunately, the news report out of Wichita doesn’t report what time these robberies took place, only that they were about an hour apart. On Sunday, about an hour after the attempted robbery at the E Z Payday Advance store, a man fitting the same description entered a different E Z Payday Advance location at 2548 S. Seneca.

This time, however, the suspect brandished a gun and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Suspect description

Police are still seeking the man who they believe was involved in both incidents. He is described as 35 to 40 years old and about 5-foot-7.

Police say he was wearing a blue shirt and a red bandanna. They also said he was driving a dark blue or dark green Saturn.

Robberies not as common lately

It’s been pretty quiet on the payday loan store robbery front lately. For a while there, I was reporting on new payday loan store robberies once or twice per month.

However, the last payday loan store robbery I received a report about was in mid-April in Indiana. The state of Indiana appears to be a pretty popular state for payday loan store robberies. This year so far I have received five reports of payday loan store robberies in Indiana, two of which happened on the same day in January.

A quiet month

After getting reports of payday loan store robberies throughout the months of February, March and April, yesterday’s incidents were the first I’ve heard of in several weeks.

There was a string of payday loan store robberies in Spokane, Wash., in late January and early February. A store in Tennessee was also robbed in February.

In March, payday loan stores in Texas, Illinois, California and Virginia reported robberies. In April, the store in Indiana reported the robbery along with a store in Virginia.

Keep employees safe

As I’ve advocated before when reporting on robberies at payday loans stores, businesses that keep a lot of cash on hand much be very careful to protect their employees.

Payday loan businesses should have security cameras installed, and, most importantly, for employees’ safety, there should always be more than one person working in the store.

A Check into Cash store in Crown Point, Indiana, was robbed Thursday. There was only one employee in the store at the time.

Armed robber

The employee reports that the robber pointed a handgun at him and demanded he empty the cash drawer. After the cash was put in the robber’s bag, the man ordered the employee to lie facedown on the floor for five minutes.

Invest in security

I have advocated many times on this site that payday loan stores make every effort to protect their employees. This year so far, there have been payday loan store robberies all over the country, from Spokane, Wash., to Columbia, Tenn.

In 2007, an employee at a payday loan store in Illinois was killed during a  robbery. The woman was working alone at the time she was shot. After that incident, many payday loan stores made a point of making sure employees were never left alone in stores. It is disturbing to hear that some store owners are not taking this precaution.

Technology can help

Besides making sure employees are not left alone, stores should use security cameras to help deter criminals and identify suspects.

Last month, robberies in Virginia and California were caught on tape, and their images were broadcast on TV news and the Internet.

Popular crime in Indiana

Several payday loan stores in Indiana have already been robbed this year.  In Indianapolis,  in January, four payday loan stores were robbed within a week. On  Jan. 19, two stores were robbed within about 45 minutes of each other.

During the week before those robberies, two other payday loan stores were hit. The same two men were suspected of committing all four robberies as well as another robbery at an auto parts store.

Also this year, criminals have robbed payday loan stores in Iowa, Texas and Illinois.

This afternoon a business in Virginia became the next victim in a growing trend of robberies aimed at payday loan stores. Police and witnesses say that just before 3 p.m. E.T., two males entered the building.

Robbers armed with handgun

Witnesses say one of the men approached the counter and feigned interest in taking out a payday loan. His suspected partner, who was behind him, took out a handgun and ordered employees to the back of the store.

Suspect descriptions

The two men left the Fast Auto Loan & Payday Loan store on the 5200 block of George Washington Highway with an undisclosed amount of cash. There is no surveillance footage available. The suspects were described as two black men. No additional details are available yet.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Tips that lead to arrest can garner rewards of up to $1,000.

No surveillance

Payday loan store robberies have become more common in recent months. This has encouraged many payday loan stores to install video surveillance cameras to protect their employees.

Another Fast Auto Loan & Payday Loan store in Virginia was robbed about three weeks ago. The robber carried a knife, and he was recorded by a surveillance camera. Police released photos of him within a few hours.

Another taped robbery

A robbery in Moreno Valley, California, at an Advance America payday loan store was captured on video that same week.

Video released

Stills from the video cameras have been dispersed to the public. You can also watch video of the robbery to get a good look at the robbers who went inside the business. Police say there could be another accomplice outside the building.

Bizarre behavior

The same day the thieves in Moreno Valley were caught on tape, a couple of robbers in Texas had a particularly strange accomplice at a payday loan store robbery: a baby.

The robbery occurred Thursday just after the Texas Car Title & Payday Loan in Amarillo closed. A man approached the clerk outside the store at gunpoint and demanded he open the store and give him cash. The employee says the man was accompanied by a woman and a baby.

Screen grabs from the video of the Virginia robbery.

Prince William County police in Virginia have released photos of a payday loan store robber in hopes that the man will be caught.

The robbery occurred a couple of weeks ago in Manasass at Fast Auto Loans and Payday Loans.

Robber carried knife

Police say the man in the video who robbed the payday loan store wielded a knife. The man entered to store about 4:30 p.m. on March 17.

Witnesses and police say he robber walked in and asked to use the phone. He then allegedly grabbed the clerk from behind and dragged her into a back room. She says he threatened her with a knife and demanded money, police said.

Suspect description

The robber was described as a black male with a mustache, 25-30 years old, approximately 6-feet 2-inches tall.

Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to call Prince William County Crime Solvers at 703-670-3700 or 1-866-411-TIPS. You don’t have to give your name, just the information. There’s a $1,000 cash reward.

Another taped robbery

A robbery in Moreno Valley, California, at an Advance America payday loan store was captured on video that same week.

Video released

Stills from the video cameras have been dispersed to the public. You can also watch video of the robbery to get a good look at the robbers who went inside the business. Police say there could be another accomplice outside the building.

Play by play

The video shows two men walking into the lobby of the business. One man already has his gun drawn. He points it at the person behind the counter, and then then employee and the man with the gun head for the back of the business. The other man stays in the lobby.

Camera case

Robberies at payday loan stores have become quite the trend lately. More payday loan stores have invested in security cameras to protect their employees, their property and their cash.

Texas Car Title & Payday Loan

I guess this pair of robbers couldn’t get a baby-sitter. The most recent in a string of nationwide payday loan store robberies had an interesting twist.

The man who demanded money at the Texas payday loan store held a gun. The woman with him, his suspected accomplice, held a baby.

Incident report

The robbery occurred Thursday just after the Texas Car Title & Payday Loan in Amarillo closed. A man approached the clerk outside the store at gunpoint and demanded he open the store and give him cash. The employee says the man was accompanied by a woman and a baby.

Suspect descriptions

Amarillo police say the man who held the gun was about 6 feet tall, apparently in his 30s, had a thin-lined beard and was black. The female appeared to be about 20 and also black. No further details were available regarding her description.

Meanwhile, in California

Also Thursday, a payday loan store in Moreno Valley, Calif., was robbed. The whole thing was caught on tape, and the tape was released to the public through local news sources. There is no word yet on whether the suspects have been caught.

Check out the video

The video shows two men entering the business, one brazenly holding a gun in plain view. Neither man’s face is covered. The robbery occurred shortly after noon. You can watch the video of the holdup at Advance America Cash Advance in Moreno Valley at a California news organization’s web site.

Recent robbery

Also last week, a payday loan store in Waukegan, Illinois, fell victim to robbers. Police and witnesses report that two men robbed the business, one of whom had a gun. One man held the gun to the store employee while the other went behind the counter and filled a duffel bag with cash.

Suspect descriptions

The first suspect in the Illinois robbery, who held the gun, is described as a man about 18 to 22 years old. He is about 5 foot 8 and 120 to 130 pounds. He has a dark complexion and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and a black ski mask.

The second man, who went behind the counter, fit a similar description, employees said. He had lighter skin and was wearing a blue sweatshirt with a zipper and dark jeans.

A clip from the robbery video.

A robbery in Moreno Valley at an Advance America payday loan store was captured on video, thanks to the company’s security cameras.  Though the tapes caught the two men involved in the crime on film, the police haven’t identified them yet.

Video released

Stills from the video cameras have been dispersed to the public. You can also watch video of the robbery to get a good look at the robbers who went inside the business. Police say there could be another accomplice outside the building.

Police and news organizations hope that showing the video on television and posting it on the Internet will lead to identifying and arresting the robbers.

Play by play

The other suspect in the robbery video

The video shows two men walking into the lobby of the business. One man already has his gun drawn. He points it at the person behind the counter, and then then employee and the man with the gun head for the back of the business. The other man stays in the lobby.

Bold criminals

The robbery occurred yesterday shortly after noon. The robbers had nothing covering their faces. The payday loan store and the surrounding area were well lit.

Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator William Guimont at (951) 247-8700.

Tough week for payday loan stores

Earlier this week, a payday loan store in Illinois was robbed. Similar to the California robbery, two men entered a payday loan store in Waukegan, and one of them was carrying a gun. The other man went behind the counter and filled a duffel bag with cash.

Suspect descriptions

The first suspect, who held the gun, is described as a man about 18 to 22 years old. He is about 5 foot 8 and 120 to 130 pounds. He has a dark complexion and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and a black ski mask.

The second man, who went behind the counter, fit a similar description, employees said. He had lighter skin and was wearing a blue sweatshirt with a zipper and dark jeans.

Police are asking anyone with information about the Waukegan robbery to call 847-599-2608.

Another payday loan store has been held up by robbers, this time is Waukegan, Ill., near Chicago.

Police say they are seeking two men. The robbery occurred Tuesday shortly before 10 a.m.

What went down

Witnesses say one man waved a gun in the air while another went behind the counter. The man behind the counter then filled a duffel bag with cash.

Before they left, the men bound the employees in the store with zip-ties. After they freed themselves, employees called the police.

Suspect descriptions

The first suspect, who held the gun, is described as a man about 18 to 22 years old. He is about 5 foot 8 and 120 to 130 pounds. He has a dark complexion and was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jacket and a black ski mask.

The second man, who went behind the counter, fit a similar description, employees said. He had lighter skin and was wearing a blue sweatshirt with a zipper and dark jeans.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 847-599-2608.

Robberies in neighboring states

This area of the country seems to be a popular place for payday loan store robberies. Last month a pair of thieves robbed a Money Station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Police have not reported any arrest in connection with the robbery, which was six weeks ago.

Way back in mid-January two robbers also held up a payday loan store in Indianapolis, Ind. Police only made one arrest.

Farther away, closer to justice

Some payday loan store robbers, however, do get caught. During the last couple of weeks in January, a string of payday loan store robberies was committed in Spokane, Wash. After four different payday loan stores were robbed, police identified and arrested the suspects.

The suspects, a male and female, were also tied to multiple pharmacy robberies or holdups. The couple was allegedly trying to steal the powerful painkiller oxycontin from the pharmacies.

Suspected in robberies in Mesa, Ariz.

Police in Mesa, Ariz., are seeking a man who began a string of robberies at a payday loans store. The same suspect is believed to have robbed three hotels and a drug store.

The crime spree begins

The string of robberies began Feb. 6 at the payday loans store. The robber went into the store, displayed a knife and placed a plastic bag on the counter. He then demanded all of the money, and the clerk handed it over.

Drug store, hotel robberies

Three days later a man fitting the same description went through the same motions at a CVS pharmacy, a Residence Inn and a Holiday Inn.  Feb. 10 a Best Western was robbed. In all four cases the robber had a knife.

Suspect tied to all 5 robberies

In each case, the robber was a white man in his 40s. He is between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 150 to 170 pounds. He has  short dirty blond hair and missing teeth. He was last seen wearing a dark jacket, jeans and a bandanna or baseball-style cap.

Lengthy search

Though the first robbery occurred two weeks ago, police are still seeking the man who robbed the five businesses. People with information should call the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.

More criminals out there

Police caught the guy who they believe committed a string of payday loans store robberies in Spokane. They believe the same man is responsible for robbing two pharmacies, and they suspect his girlfriend may  be an accomplice.

Several payday loans store robbers who committed their crimes weeks ago still haven’t been caught. Police are still seeking perpetrators of payday loans store robberies in Wichita, Kan., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Columbia Tennessee.

It seems robbers out there are getting wise to the fact that other robbers are hitting up payday loan stores and getting away with it. After a string of robberies last month, another store has been held up at gunpoint.

Wielding a gun in Wichita

Police in Wichita, Kan., are currently searching for a man who robbed an EZ Pay store in the eastern part of the city. The man was armed with a gun. He is described as a black man in his 20s, 5′ 10″, 120 to 130 pounds. He was wearing a puffy coat with a gold logo and blue sweat pants.

Stealing in Spokane

The situation in Spokane, Wash., is getting a little ridiculous. Police believe that the same man committed four payday loan store robberies last month. A man robbed a Check and Go Jan. 14 and a Check into Cash store Jan. 20. On Jan. 29, the same Check into Cash location was robbed again, within hours of a robbery at a different Check into Cash location.

Almost stealing in Spokane

Last night, police believe a man attempted to rob the same Check into Cash location that had already been struck twice. Check into Cash has started keeping its doors locked and requiring customers to show ID before they come in. Last night a man wearing a black ski mask attempted to enter the store and then ran away after realizing the door was locked.

Where is this guy?

In each case, the robber fits the same description: A man in his 20s, white, 5′5″ to 5′7″ and wearing a black ski mask, black coat and blue jeans. To make matters worse, a man fitting the same description robbed a Spokane pharmacy last night and got away with seven bottles of the powerful painkiller OxyContin. Police have no suspects in custody.

It’s at least comforting that the Check into Cash store in Spokane was able to thwart another possible robbery by enhancing security. Payday loan stores must make sure they are keeping their employees safe.

Related articles

• Man Wearing Sleeping Bag As Cape Attempts Robbery (cbsnews.com)
• Delivery man uses pizza to fight off gunmen (telegraph.co.uk)

Payday loans can get you out of a lot of trouble. If you have been a reader of this blog, you have read of the emergencies and financially safe ways people can use them to get out of trouble. There is not much that they can’t do for you, unless you’re OJ Simpson.

OJ Simpson’s Plight

This time, he doesn't have the juice to hire Cochran

Perhaps Bad Karma At Play

Ironically, OJ faces a possible life sentencing which he is currently awaiting, but not for the suspected murder which he was acquitted on by his high priced attorneys who were able to establish reasonable doubt in with the jury, but instead it will be for his actions on September 13 of 2007.

Last year the famous running back, who is now 61 years old and sitting in the Clark County Detention Center awaiting sentencing, led a raid in robbing two sports memorabilia dealers of merchandise from a Las Vegas hotel room.

OJ claimed that the memorabilia was stolen from him and he was merely getting it back (with guns), but I think the world has finally gotten tired of what OJ has to say.

What Will The Verdict Be?

He now walks before the jury with a lot of ill sentiment against him as it would be very difficult to find a jury anywhere that would believe he was innocent of his past crimes, despite the fact that he was acquitted.

Strange isn’t it? Getting away with murder and going down for robbery.

The Judge Jackie Glass, who was advised by state parole authorities to sentence Mr. Simpson to at least 18 years in prison, will most likely give him more than that as she once called him “arrogant and ignorant”. The last person you want to fall out of favor with is the judge.

So, just what did OJ and his posse of bandits steal? $100,000 worth in footballs, baseballs and lithographs. What can you say, guys love their sports!

Advice For OJ

For future reference OJ, if you want something that bad, payday loans could have helped, well maybe only $1500 dollars worth which might have gotten you one baseball, but your freedom would have still been intact.

Keep the chin up OJ. Although there isn’t spousal abuse and NFL football where you’re going, there are “FULL CONTACT” sports that may keep you busy!

Keep your head in the game, after all it’s what got you this far.