FBI Arrest Men Believed to Be 'Cowboy Gun Bandits' who Held Up Valley Gas Stations

Two Los Angeles men authorities dubbed the "Cowboy Gun Bandits" were in custody today for allegedly committing a series of gas stations and bank heists last winter.

Dominic Dorsey, 46, of Hollywood, and Reginald Bailey, 69, of Jefferson Park, were arrested without incident Thursday by special agents of the FBI and Los Angeles police officers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The men were charged in an indictment alleging a conspiracy to interfere with commerce in violation of the Hobbs Act. The indictment also charges them with five specific Hobbs Act robberies and five counts of using a firearm during the robberies, according to prosecutors.

The conspiracy count in the indictment alleges that Dorsey and Bailey participated in eight robberies last year, specifically:

• A Sept. 30 robbery at a Papa John's pizza restaurant in Canyon Country
• An Oct. 6 robbery at an ARCO gas station in Newhall
• An Oct. 18 robbery at a Chevron gas station in Woodland Hills
• An Oct. 25 robbery at an ARCO gas station in Encino
• An Oct. 26 robbery at a Mobil gas station in Thousand Oaks
• An Oct. 27 robbery at a USA Gas station in Earlimart
• An Oct. 28 robbery at a Valero gas station in Atwater Village
• A Nov. 5 robbery of a Citibank branch in Glendale that netted more than $55,000

Many of the robberies were captured by video surveillance, which allowed investigators to determine that one of the robbers was missing part of his ring finger on his left hand, authorities said.

The video surveillance evidence allegedly helped lead authorities to Bailey, whose left hand is missing a portion of his ring finger, according to prosecutors.

Each of the six Hobbs Act violations carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The gun violations carry potential life sentences, but also would bring mandatory minimum sentences of seven years for the first count and 25 years for each of the four additional counts.

--City News Service