A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, accuses a Red River County man of committing a string of armed robberies across several area Texas counties in November.
Bobby Wayne Lance, 49, appeared with Longview attorney Craig Bass Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven for arraignment in the Texarkana Division of the Eastern District of Texas on an eight-count indictment.
Lance allegedly robbed staff at a Cinemark Movies 8 Cinema in Paris, Texas in Lamar County at gunpoint Nov. 8. The first count of the indictment accuses Lance of the theater robbery and count two accuses him of brandishing a gun during the crime.
According to the third count of Lance’s indictment, he robbed the Carter’s Store and RV Park convenience store near DeKalb, Texas on FM 990 in Bowie County on Nov. 15, the week after the theater holdup. The fourth count alleges Lance used a firearm in the Bowie County robbery.
Two of the counts listed in Lance’s indictment accuse him of brandishing a firearm during a robbery Nov. 17 of the First National Bank of Mount Vernon, Cypress Springs Branch, in Franklin County two days after the convenience store robbery in Bowie County. Lance allegedly got away with $73,946 of the bank’s money.
The indictment also accuses Lance of carjacking a gray 2011 Ford F-150 pickup truck at gunpoint the same day he held up the bank. A notice of forfeiture attached to Lance’s indictment states the government intends to recover the $73,946 Lance took from the bank and seeks Lance’s forfeiture of a Taurus model .38 special revolver seized from him at the time of his arrest.
Lance was reportedly arrested Nov. 20 at his home in Avery, Texas. Lance pleaded not guilty to all eight counts Tuesday.
Craven ordered Lance to remain in custody. He is scheduled for trial Feb. 22 before U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder in Texarkana.
