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Man to serve 40 years for Virginia Beach bank robbery, shooting at state trooper

Posted at 3:29 PM, Sep 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-27 15:29:38-04
John Anthony Lewis: Three counts of Robbery and three counts of Use of a Firearm, capital offense

John Anthony Lewis: Three counts of Robbery and three counts of Use of a Firearm, capital offense

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A man charged with robbing a Virginia Beach bank and shooting at a Virginia State Police trooper was sentenced Tuesday.

John Lewis will spend 40 years in jail after being sentenced to 63 years in prison with 23 years suspended.

Lewis and his co-conspirator, Rory Diggs, pleaded guilty in April to charges of attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of robbery and three counts of the use of a firearm.

Diggs and Lewis were charged in the December robbery of a Wells Fargo bank on General Booth Blvd.

Police records show the robbers escaped with $34,000.

Neighbors said the men opened fire on the trooper. A bullet grazed his head and the robbers got away.

The pair’s fleeing truck caught the attention of a State Police sergeant who was not involved in the bank robbery investigation. The trooper pursued the truck into a residential court, trapping the men there.

Hours later, police arrested Diggs in a nearby back yard. Lewis was arrested the next day.

Previous coverage:

Two men plead guilty in Virginia Beach Wells Fargo robbery case; both are facing four life terms

Conflict of interest sparks search for outside judge in Virginia Beach bank robbery case

Pizza driver accused in Virginia Beach bank robbery, former governor share same attorney

Court documents reveal more info on Virginia Beach bank robbery suspects

Police no longer searching for third suspect in Wells Fargo bank robbery case