Police say five staged robbery in Statesville

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Steve Huffman

Salisbury Post

STATESVILLE — Five area residents have been charged with staging a robbery Monday at a pizza restaurant in Statesville.

The incident took place at a Little Caesar's restaurant on Wilkesboro Highway.

According to police, Josh Bumgardner, 21, of China Grove, faces an embezzlement charge. The four others were charged with felony larceny and felony conspiracy. They are Amanda Martin, 19, and her sister, Jessica, 23, of Salisbury, along with Dannon Hoffman, 28, and Ashley Marie Hoffman, 22, both of Kannapolis.

They were all held under $5,000 secured bonds.

Statesville Police Chief Tom Anderson said Bumgardner, the restaurant's assistant manager, called about noon Monday to report that a man walked into the restaurant, pepper-sprayed him and took a deposit bag containing money.

Bumgardner told police the assailant was a white male and described what he was wearing. Within minutes, officers located a woman walking in the area wearing clothes that matched the description of the alleged assailant's.

Officers talked to the woman and then left. But they kept her under watch from a distance. Anderson said they saw her get into a car and get out at the back of Little Caesar's.

"Obviously, it was some sort of orchestrated event," Anderson said of the alleged robbery.

After more questioning, Bumgardner admitted the robbery was staged and the thief was to be a man, identified as Dannon Hoffman, but Hoffman backed out. He was driving the getaway car while Amanda Martin agreed to be the robber.

Dannon Hoffman left the area with Martin's sister and Ashley Hoffman before Amanda Martin "robbed" the restaurant, leaving her temporarily stranded.

"He got cold feet before it happened," Anderson said of Hoffman. "His feet got even colder after the robbery."

With the help of the Salisbury Police Department, police went to a house on Tillman Road in Salisbury and found the Martin sisters and the Hoffmans there.

Amanda Martin admitted to the scheme, police said, and said she ditched the money in a bush. The deposit bag containing $2,000 was found.

Bumgardner's address is 1150 Shue Road, China Grove. Amanda and Jessica Martin live at 1418 Tillman Road, Salisbury. Anderson said Ashley Marie Hoffman is a sister of Amanda and Jessica Martin.