Dunnellon man sentenced to 10-year prison term for robbing two Pizza Huts and other crimes
A Dunnellon man suspected of robbing two pizza stores within a day of each other in July 2019 has been convicted and sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
Appearing on Monday in front of Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon, Marcus E. Gilbert pleaded no contest to two counts of robbery with a firearm, according to court records.
In addition to the prison time, Gilbert must make restitution to the victim or victims, pay fines and court costs, and submit a DNA sample, court records indicate. He is credited with 1,065 days of time already served at the Marion County Jail awaiting resolution of these cases.
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Plea agreement
The 54-year-old man also faced other charges: grand theft, utter forged instrument and false statement to obtain unemployment benefits. Gilbert was on probation for the latter charge when he was taken into custody for the robbery offenses.
As part of a negotiated plea, the sentence will cover all of the charges.
Jacques Ward from the Office of the Regional Council and local defense attorney Jack Maro were Gilbert's lawyers.
Pizza Hut robberies
Sheriff's deputies were called to two Pizza Huts on back-to-back days in July 2019.
Deputies said the first robbery was July 27, 2019, at 8449 SW State Road 200. The next day, at 166 Marion Oaks Blvd., a man entered the building carrying what an employee thought was a firearm. The man was given cash from the register and then ran.
The robber, later identified as Gilbert, was apprehended not long after the robbery. When Gilbert was captured, deputies said, his clothing resembled the robber's clothes. The robbery was caught on the store's surveillance video.
Investigation begins
Sheriff's officials compared notes, witness statements and other evidence collected from the robberies. They realized they had a match.
Deputies got a search warrant for an older model car belonging to Gilbert. Inside the vehicle, deputies recovered a gun and several checks that were not Gilbert's.
The deputies were able to find the victim in the check case: an elderly man who said Gilbert once lived with him. The man said the checks were his and should not be in Gilbert's possession.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Gilbert also was charged with the grand theft and utter forged instrument charges.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County, Florida man gets 10-year prison term for Pizza Hut heists
