Woodland Hills' 'Cowboy Gun Bandit' Faces Long Sentence

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two Los Angeles men dubbed the "Cowboy Gun Bandits" for holding gas stations, a pizza parlor and banks with a long-barreled Colt six-shooter are could spend their lives in prison following sentencing Monday.

A sentencing hearing was rescheduled Monday to May 23 for the "Cowboy Gun Bandits." Their fate remains up in the air after a judge in the case previously questioned the sentencing recommendation as being draconian. Prosecutors sought length, 100-plus year sentences for Dominic Dorsey, 51, of Hollywood, and Reginald Bailey, 74, of the Jefferson Park. The pair were convicted at trial three years ago of 11 felony robbery and firearms counts. Armed with a Colt 1873 revolver, the pair terrorized the San Fernando Valley area, robbing a filling stations in Woodland Hills, Newhall, Encino, Thousand Oaks, and Atwater Village, and a Citibank branch in Glendale.

Ultimately, they were convicted of eight armed robberies committed in 2013. The holdups were captured by video surveillance, which allowed investigators to determine that one of the masked robbers was missing part of his ring finger on his left hand. That evidence helped lead authorities to Bailey.

In one instance, prior to the Encino heist, Dorsey's face and distinctive sneakers can be seen on video as he bought and pumped gas -- before he returned to rob the filling station wearing the same shoes and driving a similar car, evidence showed.

In sentencing papers, the government asked U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder to impose an additional 14 years to Dorsey's mandatory sentence for a total federal prison term of 49 years. The defense argued against the extra years.

Prosecutors are recommending a 44-year term for Bailey, while his attorney is expected to argue for a sentence of no more than about nine years behind bars.

A Sept. 30 robbery at a Papa John's pizza restaurant in Canyon Country
An Oct. 6 robbery at an ARCO gas station in Newhall
An Oct. 18 robbery at a Chevron gas station in Woodland Hills
An Oct. 25 robbery at an ARCO gas station in Encino
An Oct. 26 robbery at a Mobil gas station in Thousand Oaks
An Oct. 27 robbery at a USA Gas station in Earlimart
An Oct. 28 robbery at a Valero gas station in Atwater Village
A Nov. 5 robbery of a Citibank branch in Glendale that netted more than $55,000

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.