A 30-year-old Lanham man was sentenced Wednesday to 114 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of a Hyattsville store, the Maryland U.S. attorney's office announced.
George Gregory Allen entered the Cheverly Sports Fair store, on the 5600 block of Landover Road in Hyattsville, in May of last year, wearing a black mask, a coat and gloves, and carrying a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, prosecutors said. He demanded money and ammunition from the store's owner, but made the mistake of setting his weapon down to help himself to bullets.
The owner knocked Allen over the head while the robber was unarmed and called for help, prosecutors said. Two customers rushed over, helping to secure Allen and calling police in the process, according to court records.
Police arrived quickly and handcuffed Allen, after a brief struggle, recovering the loaded shotgun along with five boxes of ammunition, prosecutors said.