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Man admits to game store spree
BY BRETT HAMBRIGHT, Staff Writer
A homeless man admitted Tuesday to a spree of armed robberies at local video game stores in June 2011.
Anthony Charles Landi pleaded guilty to six felony robberies over a 20-day spree that had area business owners on edge as police searched for the brazen thief.
Some of the robberies occurred during daylight hours with customers in the stores; others happened just before store closings. A gun was displayed each time.
Four games stores and two other shops were targeted. Landi took more than $3,600 in cash, police reported.
Lancaster County Judge James Cullen accepted the guilty plea and will sentence the 26-year-old on March 22.
Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson, lead prosecutor, reserved comment for sentencing. Landi, represented by attorney John Churchville, did the same.
Court documents indicate Landi's motive was to obtain drug money; police said they found a spoon on Landi that tested positive for heroin residue.
He admitted to robberies at the following locations in Manheim, East Lampeter and East Hempfield townships:
n GameStop, 1320 Lititz Pike, June 6.
n Turkey Hill, 1991 State Road, June 8.
n GameStop, 2405 Covered Bridge Drive, June 13.
n GameStop, 2040 Fruitville Pike, June 20.
n Play N Trade, 1601 Manheim Pike, June 24.
n The Framery, 1912 Fruitville Pike, June 28.
Following the final robbery, Landi was arrested at Kmart, 1890 Fruitville Pike, Manheim Township.
Police said they found Landi's backpack, containing a black pellet gun, in the store. Police also found $79 in Landi's pocket, the same amount stolen from The Framery.
Kmart surveillance footage showed that Landi had put on a different colored T-shirt after entering the store's vestibule area, police said.
bhambright@lnpnews.com
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