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Ridgely convicted of pizza robbery

A Great Falls man is awaiting sentencing April 2 for robbing pizza delivery drivers in Havre and Great Falls.

Hugh Clarence Ridgely, 24, was convicted Wednesday of two counts of robbery affecting commerce after a trial in federal District Court in Great Falls.

Christopher Lakey, who was accused of two counts of robbery affecting commerce and a count of use of a firearm in a crime of violence, pleaded guilty Nov. 29 to one count of robbery and will be sentenced March 22.

Each faces charges in state District Court in Havre as well, a felony count of robbery and misdemeanor count of theft.

No hearings were scheduled as of this morning in Ridgely's case, but Lakey is scheduled for trial March 1.

According to the federal release about this week's trial, Ridgely and Lakey robbed a Havre Pizza Hut delivery driver Jan 6. One of the two called in and asked to have two pizzas and a bottle of soda delivered to the 1000 Block of 4th Street in Havre. The caller asked that the delivery driver have enough cash to make change for $100.

When the driver arrived with the pizza, Ridgely asked for change for the purchase, then Lakey showed the driver a firearm and told him he was being robbed, the document says.

After taking the money, pizza and soda, the two walked away. The delivery driver called the police to report the robbery.

Later, a Havre police officer called a Great Falls police officer and described the robbery. The Great Falls officer indicated it sounded similar to a robbery of a pizza delivery driver in Great Falls Jan. 8.

In that robbery, a car pulled up behind a pizza delivery driver, and one of the occupants of the car approached the delivery driver and began asking questions like, "What time do you stop delivering? " and "What time does the pizza shop close? "

He then pulled out a folding knife with the blade exposed and told the driver to give him all of the driver's money.

The driver followed the vehicle as it left, recording its license plate, and later identified Ridgely from a line up as the man who robbed him.

Lakey was arrested Jan. 8, and identified Ridgely as the man who had robbed the delivery drivers with him.

 

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