A man convicted of robbing a Lynchburg convenience store of about $500 at gunpoint will serve more than 14 years in prison.
Oscar Orlando Floyd Jr., 22, of Lynchburg, was arrested and charged with robbery, abduction, using a firearm in a felony and possessing a firearm as a felon in relation to an incident from Jan. 24, 2017.
At about 11 p.m., camera footage released by the Lynchburg Police Department showed a man entering the Sunshine Market on Campbell Avenue with a pump shotgun. The suspect, who witnesses described as wearing a skull mask, held on to one victim and gestured with his gun while demanding the store clerk hand him money.
The clerk gave him about $500 in cash, and the suspect fled on foot.
The Lynchburg Police Department developed Floyd as a suspect through some tips they received and visited the residence he was staying at on Fairview Avenue, blocks away from the convenience store.
When searching the property, they found a mask and shotgun that matched descriptions of those used in the robbery. At Floyd’s trial in April, a forensic examiner said testing showed Floyd was the major contributor of DNA found on both objects.
At his sentencing hearing Wednesday, Floyd’s mother spoke to her son’s mental health issues that she said he’s had since childhood. His attorney, Steven McFadgen, said Floyd doesn’t possess the same level of reason as most and called for lenience in his sentence.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison said none of Floyd’s treatment has stopped him from a violent history, having committed a criminal offense almost every year since 2010. She said interviews have shown Floyd has been unrepentant for his actions, took no responsibility and has no plan for his release.
Judge Ed Burnette said while he’s mindful of Floyd’s mental health issues, “it’s still a question of whether he knows right from wrong,” and it was plain to see Floyd had the wherewithal to plan out an armed robbery.
He was sentenced to 14 years and seven months in prison. In addition to paying back the $500, he’ll need to pay more than $1,000 toward medical expenses for the victim he ended up taking with him to the ground when he fell in the convenience store during the robbery.