Man Gets 20 Years For Robbing Century Coin Laundry, Fleeing With Change In Plastic Pumpkin

A man that robbed a Century laundromat and made his getaway with the loot in a plastic Halloween pumpkin is headed to prison.

William Edward Perry, Jr. was sentence to 20 years in state prison by Circuit Judge Gary Bergosh as a prison releasee reoffender and as a habitual felony offender. That means Perry, 57, will serve the first 15 years of his sentence day for day as a mandatory minimum.

He was convicted by an Escambia County jury of robbery with a weapon.

On April 21, 2016, Perry entered Century Laundry and Self Storage and committed a robbery. The victim, who was about 70-years old, was the store manager and was alone in the store when Perry entered. The victim was taking money out of the washers and dryers when Perry came up behind her and took the plastic Halloween bucket of money.

The pumpkin bucket contained approximately $300 in coins. Perry put his hand in her face, told her to get back, and to go sit down behind the counter. Perry then demanded she give him the keys to the store. When the victim refused, Perry fled the scene without the keys but with the money in the pumpkin bucket.

The victim later identified Perry from a photo lineup.

Pensacola Police located Perry panhandling near the intersection of Pace and Cervantes in May 2016. When officers approached, he ran before falling down and scuffling with officers before being taken into custody. He was charged with battery, two counts of resisting an officer and obstructing police by the Pensacola Police Department. Those charges were later dismissed.

Perry’s criminal record includes escape, burglary, grand theft, resisting officer with violence, and possession of cocaine as well as numerous misdemeanor offenses, including indecent exposure, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

NorthEscambia.com photo.