Appeals Court Upholds Conviction Of Man That Robbed Century Coin Laundry, Fled With Loot In Plastic Pumpkin

July 21, 2019

An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a Century man that robbed a Century laundromat and made his getaway with the loot in a plastic Halloween pumpkin.

In January 2018, William Edward Perry, Jr. was sentenced to 20 years in state prison by Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh as a prison releasee reoffender and as a habitual felony offender. That means Perry will be required to serve the first 15 years of his sentence day for day as a mandatory minimum.

Perry, now 58, appealed, but the Florida First District Court of Appeal last week upheld the sentence.

He was convicted by an Escambia County jury of robbery with a weapon.

On April 21, 2016, Perry entered Century Laundry and Self Storage and committed a robbery. The victim, who was about 70-years old, was the store manager and was alone in the store when Perry entered. The victim was taking  money out of the washers and dryers when Perry came up behind her and took the plastic Halloween bucket of money.

The pumpkin bucket contained approximately $300 in coins. Perry put his hand in her face, told her to get back, and to go sit down behind the counter. Perry then demanded she give him the keys to the store. When the victim refused, Perry fled the scene without the keys but with the money in the pumpkin bucket.

The victim later identified Perry from a photo lineup.

Pensacola Police located Perry panhandling near the intersection of Pace and Cervantes in May 2016. When officers approached, he ran before falling down and scuffling with officers before being taken into custody. He was charged with  battery, two counts of resisting an officer and obstructing police by the Pensacola Police Department. Those charges were later dismissed.

Perry’s criminal record includes escape, burglary, grand theft, resisting officer with violence, and possession of cocaine as well as numerous misdemeanor offenses, including indecent exposure, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

He is currently served out his sentence at the Suwannee Correctional Institution in Live Oak. He is currently set for release in 2036.

Comments

12 Responses to “Appeals Court Upholds Conviction Of Man That Robbed Century Coin Laundry, Fled With Loot In Plastic Pumpkin”

  1. Mike on July 22nd, 2019 8:11 pm

    Just to recapitulate: he got 1 year of prison for each $20 he stole. Think of the investment bankers, lawyers etc.

  2. NEARBY NEIGHBOR on July 22nd, 2019 6:20 pm

    I personally know this lady. He may not have actually hurt her but he definitely upset her. she has worked there many years without any trouble. And didn’t need this to happen to her.

    He is NOT A NICE PERSON. just look what the article says..

    “Perry’s criminal record includes escape, burglary, grand theft, resisting officer with violence, and possession of cocaine as well as numerous misdemeanor offenses, including indecent exposure, according to the State Attorney’s Office.”

    Do i think 20 years is Harsh?? No!! He obviously did not learn to be a law abiding citizen before. So just take him out of society.

    Now i get to work to feed his sorry stealing self for the next 20 years!!

  3. Les Lassiter on July 22nd, 2019 1:42 pm

    Take away 3 hot’s & a cot in a climate controlled cell. Bring back the chain gang for the lifer’s & habitual re-offenders, & for all sentence’s over 90 days. Put them on different crews to effect county & State road projects, maintenance of the median & adjacent properties, i.e., cleaning out drainage systems. Use the “chain system” where the need fit’s.

  4. Skeptic on July 22nd, 2019 11:41 am

    What bothers me about this whole situation is that this man has obviously had trouble with substances for a long time…panhandling, stealing money in the form of coins, etc. It also sounds like he’s had numerous run-ins with the law, but mostly just run of the mill lowlife stuff…

    Now.. he’s sentenced to a minimum of 15 years. At about $30k per inmate per year average cost, plus the cost of his trial and appeals, etc. We are going to end up spending over A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS on keeping this one loser off the streets. That’s on top of all the other money that has been spent on him in years past. And there are thousands like him locked up…

    Someone needs to come up with a better system….. for the amount of money spent, it seems like there would be some way to rehabilitate some of these people at an early stage and save us millions of dollars later on…

  5. OhYouKnow on July 22nd, 2019 8:39 am

    He is a career criminal, he will commit another crime once he gets out, granted he will be 73? but he wont change, hopefully he will do something stupid in prison and get his stay extended

  6. Bell on July 21st, 2019 8:23 pm

    So @ Mike, I take it that you are part of his family or friends? Yes he has served his previous time as a career criminal. So you think because of that he should get a lighter sentence?

  7. Chris on July 21st, 2019 7:47 pm

    Posting words on social media, or attempting to rob a store, are two entirely different things.

  8. anne 1of2 on July 21st, 2019 2:03 pm

    i tried. Just can’t feel sorry for this one. He’s just bored. Too bad.

  9. Mike on July 21st, 2019 12:58 pm

    he did not hurt 70-years old victim, when she refused to give him the keys, he fled. So, he is getting now 20 years for stealing $300. Don’t tell me anything about his previous crimes, he has served his terms for them. A non-violent (didn’t hurt anybody) gets 20 years for $300. Seems way too harsh for me. If you say better lock him up before he hurts anybody, then way shouldn’t we lock up those who post blood-thirsty (like I’d stone him to death! He needs to be tortured! – on other discussions, not this yet) comments before they do what they wish onto the others?

  10. Watcher on July 21st, 2019 11:36 am

    Glad to have the Bergosh brothers in positions of leader ship in Escambia.

  11. paul on July 21st, 2019 10:52 am

    So the habitual felony offender who preys on the weak (a 70 year old woman) appeals because he didn’t get a fair shake? was treated unjustly? He’s has spent a large portion of his life committing crime and now it is time to pay up. Mark your calendar for 2036.

  12. Williwonka on July 21st, 2019 5:49 am

    Why were the Pensacola charges dismissed? 15 years will probably be life sentence.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News