Hogsett Announces Conviction of Evansville Armed Career Criminal
Violent chase results in guilty verdict as part of U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative
INDIANAPOLIS — Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced that Ricky Dillard (a.k.a. Ricky Rolack), age 45, of Evansville, was found guilty late yesterday following a three–day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Richard Young. Dillard was convicted of four gunrelated crimes stemming from a May 2011 burglary of the Fares Loan and Pawn in Evansville.
Our Violent Crime Initiative aims to do one thing, and one thing only: take the worst of the worst off the streets of Evansville,
Hogsett said. This guilty verdict is the latest victory resulting from our effort to bring federal and local resources to bear upon violent, habitual offenders in this city who for too long have viewed the local jails as their personal revolving door.
On May 2, 2011, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the Evansville Police Department was dispatched to a burglary that occurred at Fares Loan and Pawn. The culprits forced entry into the business and stole three firearms and some jewelry. All of Dillard’s federal charges are the result of his involvement in carrying out this crime.
Upon exiting the building, Dillard scuffled with a bystander – a military veteran who attempted to intervene – striking him with a stolen handgun before pointing the weapon at the man and fleeing the scene. An extensive search by an Evansville Police Department K9 unit led officers to a room at the Sunset Motel, where Dillard and several of the stolen items were located.
As a result of a joint federal–local investigation, Dillard was federally charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with being a felon in possession of a firearm; stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL); brandishing a firearm in furtherance of committing a crime of violence; and knowingly possessing stolen firearms. According to the grand jury indictment returned last September, Dillard’s criminal history includes ten prior felony convictions in and around the Evansville area, including attempted aggravated robbery, assault, and aggravated burglary.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthias D. Onderak, who prosecuted the case for the government, due to Dillard’s criminal history, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is expected to be scheduled in Evansville within the next 60 days.
This prosecution was the result of a collaborative investigation as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative, which included significant assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Evansville Police Department.
Announced in March of 2011, the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) represents a districtwide strategy to work with local law enforcement and county prosecutors to combat drug traffickers and criminals that use and carry firearms in their illegal activities. In the first nine months of the initiative, the VCI produced a dramatic increase in the number of gun–related charges brought federally – from just 14 felony possession charges in 2010 to 103 last year.
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