GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A man who pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of a Greensboro food truck has been sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Ryan Lewis Little, 40, of New York, was sentenced to 35 years after pleading guilty to charges of robbery, firearm and intimidation charges related to the attempted murder of a witness.
Background
On April 8, 2022, officers with the Greensboro Police Department came to the Big Gay Food Truck in the parking lot of the Chemistry Nightclub on Spring Garden Street after getting a report of an attempted robbery.
Footage from the truck’s surveillance cameras showed Little walking up the steps, pulling out a silver handgun, pointing it at the employee and asking, “Where is the money?” The employee told Little there was no money and he proceeded to push the victim and run away.
The robbery at the Big Gay Food Truck was the fourth food truck targeted in Greensboro in a short amount of time that Greensboro police had been investigating since March 2022.
A witness spoke with investigators about the robberies and was shot in the face by Little as retaliation on April 12, 2022. Little then left North Carolina.
At around 10:30 p.m. on April 20, 2022, the New York Police Department came to a restaurant after getting a report of a robbery.
An employee of the business told investigators that Little entered, pulled a silver firearm concealed beneath a newspaper and took $1,500 from the register. The employee followed Little to a nearby park and officers found him hiding in the bushes as they canvassed the area.
Little attempted to run and was caught moments later with $1,100 in cash on him. Investigators traced Little’s steps and found a loaded silver pistol.
After Little was taken into custody, another witness came to the officers and told them that Little attempted to carjack him.
Austin Allen, the co-owner of the Big Gay Food Truck, was working inside the food truck when Little walked up. He said that Little pretended to be a customer and asked a question about food.
Once Allen noticed Little’s presence, Little shoved him to the side while pulling out the gun and pointing at him.
“It was one of those either I’m going to get shot or not,” Allen said.
Allen told FOX8 that once Little realized there was no money to take, he ran away up Spring Garden Street.
“My adrenaline spiked for sure…and my thought process was ‘what can I do to get him out of here quickly as possible?'” Allen said.
Sentencing
On May 10, Little pleaded guilty to charges of interference with commerce by robbery and retaliating against a witness by attempted murder for his actions during the Big Gay Food Truck Robbery and subsequent shooting of a witness in North Carolina.
On June 20, Little pleaded guilty to a separate charge of interference with commerce by robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime for his actions in New York.
On Wednesday, Little was sentenced to 35 years in prison in a Greensboro courtroom for the charges out of North Carolina and New York.
Greensboro police were assisted in the investigation by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New York Police Department.
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