After a crime spree in Richland County, he got caught almost 700 miles away, cops say
The man seems calm and practiced as he points a gun at a gas station clerk, directs her to open the register and grabs the money out with his own hands.
Richland County Sheriff’s Department says that man is Howard Smalley and that it wasn’t the only time he hit up a convenient store.
In January, Smalley went on a run of three robberies in Richland County, according to police. He also robbed five other stores in recent months, allegedly.
He stole money from four places on Two Notch Road, three on Rabon Road and one in Forest Acres, police say. Then he got on the road.
The U.S. Marshals found Smalley in New Jersey on Friday, Richland County said. He was arrested without incident and charged with eight counts of robbery.
Deputies said that Smalley had a criminal record from the mid to late 2000s that included arrests for marijuana and domestic violence.
Each robbery comes with a maximum penalty of 15 years. Armed robbery ups the prison time to a minimum of 10 years with the possibility of a 30 year sentence. The 57 year-old Smalley could face the rest of his life in prison.