Armed carjacker sentenced to 15 years for 2016 kidnapping, robbery

Greeson
Greeson

A Hot Springs man arrested in 2016 for trying to force a man at gunpoint to drive him to Tennessee and then stealing his car was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty to charges in Garland County Circuit Court.

Ricky Ray Greeson II, 33, who has remained in custody in lieu of $256,000 bond since his arrest Oct. 25, 2016, pleaded guilty to felony counts of aggravated robbery and kidnapping and was sentenced to 15 years and to felony counts of commercial burglary and theft of a firearm and was sentenced to six years, with all the sentences to run concurrently.

Greeson was set to stand trial on the kidnapping and robbery charges on Sept. 24 and on the burglary and theft charges, which stem from the theft of two guns he had in his possession when he was arrested, on Dec. 4. Greeson's attorneys had filed a motion for a mental evaluation on May 24, 2017, which delayed trial proceedings until he was found fit to proceed.

According to the probable cause affidavit on the kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges, on Oct. 25, 2016, at around 10 a.m., North Little Rock police officers responded to a possible aggravated robbery at the Valero at 605 E. Broadway in North Little Rock and made contact with a Hot Springs man who said an unknown white male, later identified as Greeson, got in his vehicle in Garland County and tried to force him to drive him to Tennessee.

The victim said he had been working on a vehicle at his shop and was test driving it in the area of Spring Street and Westinghouse Drive around 9 a.m. when he was flagged down by Greeson for assistance. When he pulled over, Greeson entered the vehicle on the passenger side, pointed a chrome revolver him and told him to drive or he would kill him.

The victim said Greeson forced him to drive to a gas station in Haskell and buy him soft drinks and cigarettes. He then forced him to drive north to Little Rock because "he needed to get to Tennessee."

The victim said Greeson told him, "Don't call anyone or do anything stupid or I'll kill you." The victim told him he needed to stop for food because "he was diabetic and did not feel well." When they stopped in North Little Rock, Greeson told the victim he was taking the vehicle and was going to leave him there.

The victim said he was afraid Greeson was going to shoot him, so he exited the vehicle and Greeson fled northbound in the victim's car on Locust Street toward the Interstate 40 on-ramp. Greeson also took the victim's cellphone.

Officers issued an alert to "be on the lookout" for the vehicle and contacted the Garland County Sheriff's Department and Arkansas State Police. ASP troopers located the vehicle near Hazen and took Greeson into custody. During a search of the vehicle, officers located two .38-caliber revolvers, including the one described by the victim.

Greeson was brought back to Hot Springs where he was interviewed by sheriff's investigators and admitted to stopping the victim, getting into the vehicle and telling him to take him to Tennessee. He also admitted he was in possession of two handguns, one of which he had in his hand when he stopped the victim.

Greeson said he put the gun away after noticing the victim was becoming nervous.

According to the affidavit on the burglary and theft charges, on Oct. 25, 2016, a burglary was reported at the business office of J&J RV Park, 2000 E. Grand Ave., in which a window screen was removed to make entry and a chrome .38-caliber revolver, valued at $200, a cash register and $150 in a canvas tote bag were taken.

After Greeson's arrest from the carjacking, investigators determined one of the revolvers in his possession was the one stolen from the RV park. The canvas tote bag was also found in his possession.

Greeson is classified as a habitual offender with previous convictions on May 24, 2004, in Henry County, Tenn., for two counts of theft of property more than $10,000, vandalism, and four counts of burglary.

Local on 08/28/2018

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