The fact that Geoffrey Logan Rogers robbed three banks in Fair Lakes and Chantilly was never in doubt. But why he did it remains a puzzle.
And even before being sentenced last Friday to 24 years in prison for these crimes, he refused to shed any light on the reason behind his actions.
"THIS DEFENDANT stands before you on three counts of bank robbery," said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mark Sullivan to Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jane Roush. "After serving [almost 10] years in prison — where he met the co-defendant — for bank robbery, he does it again. And when asked why, he said, 'I have no explanation.'"
Commenting on Rogers' extensive criminal record, Sullivan said it was so long that he gave up trying to write it all down after it reached two pages. He then asked Roush to sentence the Kentucky man to as many years as possible.
"The commonwealth recommends the high end of [the state sentencing] guidelines — at least 36 years," said Sullivan. "[Rogers] seems to want to be in prison, so maybe he should spend the rest of his life there."
Police arrested Rogers, 43, of Paducah, Ky., and co-defendant Ronald Michael Young, 35, of Manassas, April 16, 2006, after they allegedly carjacked an SUV in Manassas. The owner's relatives called Prince William police, who pursued the pair and captured them when they crashed the vehicle.
The two men were also charged with committing the following 2006 robberies:
* March 17 — 10:30 a.m., United Bank, 13060 Fair Lakes Shopping Center in Fairfax.
* March 28 — 1:44 p.m., BB&T Bank, 13821 Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy. in Chantilly.
* March 30 — 10:30 a.m., Virginia Commerce Bank, 13881 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly.
* March 30 — 11:38 a.m., BB&T Bank, 43365 Junction Plaza in Ashburn.
* March 30 — 1:03 p.m., Provident Bank, 46910 Community Plaza in Sterling.
"Rogers is believed to be the bank robber, and Young, the getaway-car driver," said Fairfax County police spokesman Rich Henry shortly after they were apprehended. In each instance, bank employees at first mistook Rogers for a customer, said police, until he reportedly told them, "This is a robbery."
FAIRFAX COUNTY police Det. Gary Bailey detailed the bank-robbery cases against them in an April 24, 2006 affidavit for a warrant to search Rogers' car, a 2000 Toyota Camry.
Bailey described the March 17 offense at United Bank and the March 28 robbery at BB&T. While investigating the latter crime, he wrote, "Witnesses advised that they saw two white males sitting in a red, four-door sedan prior to the incident."
After the March 30 robbery at Virginia Commerce Bank, the robber was seen fleeing. Later that day, two more banks were robbed — this time, in Loudoun County. Wrote Bailey: "Surveillance photographs [of the robber] from all five banks were compared and appear to be the same individual."
When Rogers was later asked why he looked so fierce and angry in the surveillance photos, he replied, 'When you're robbing a bank without a gun, obviously, you need to show intimidation.'"
Police also connected him to a red Toyota Camry with Kentucky license plates that had been abandoned in a daily parking garage at Dulles International Airport. Bailey wrote that, during questioning, Rogers confessed to robbing the Fairfax County banks and Young allegedly admitted to driving the red Toyota to and from the stick-ups.
During jury trials in February, Young was found guilty of the Loudoun County bank robberies and is to be sentenced in mid-June. He was scheduled for a jury trial this week in Fairfax County for the three bank robberies here.
Rogers is slated to stand trial in Loudoun County on April 23. But that's not all. On Nov. 8, 2006, in Prince William County Circuit Court, Rogers pleaded guilty to hit-and-run and disregarding a police command to stop. He's scheduled for sentencing May 31.
FURTHERMORE, at the time of the bank robberies, Rogers was on parole. He was convicted Dec. 2, 1994 for a bank robbery in southern Florida and was sentenced to 12 years, 7 months in a federal prison, with three years suspended.
So he served nine years, 7 months but — because of his new convictions here — it's likely that some or all of this previously suspended time will be revoked and he'll be given more time to serve.
On Feb. 28 in Fairfax County Circuit Court, Rogers pleaded guilty to the three bank robberies here and returned last Friday, April 6, for sentencing. Defense attorney Tom Koerner tried to do the best he could for his client, but it was obvious that Rogers hadn't provided his attorney with any insights into his psyche.
"This is one of the hardest cases I've ever had," said Koerner. "[Rogers] is articulate and intelligent. After his release from prison, he got a job [as a tattoo artist] and was starting a new life — and this spree makes no sense."
"I thought he did it to go back to prison," said Judge Roush. "You may be right," answered Koerner. "He goes into the banks with no mask, no gun."
"One robbery netted only $1,500," said Roush. "He could have made that much in three days in his calling."
"When I asked him why he did it, he said he has no real answer — and maybe he doesn't want to find one," said Koerner. "Sometimes, we can't look into that mirror; it may be too scary."
He then asked her to sentence Rogers to the minimum of 23 years. He said his client will "probably get three years backup federal time" and noted, as well, Rogers' upcoming court dates in Loudoun and Prince William.
"Maybe this is suicide by judge — he just doesn't want to be out," said Koerner. "And as a defense attorney, I find it incredibly sad that I can't help him."
ROGERS HAS been incarcerated since April 22, 2006 and, from talks with him in jail, Koerner said Rogers is "not a person of unmitigated evil." Noting that, since Rogers committed crimes in three different counties, all his sentences will run consecutively to each other, Koerner told Roush his client will be behind bars for a long, long time.
"I can't ask for leniency," he said. "But I'll ask the court to be understanding that there was no gun used and no one was hurt."
After that, Rogers stood and said, "Contrary to what's been said, I don't have a death wish." Then, folding his arms across his chest, he added, "But that being said, I don't have anything else to say."
Roush sentenced him to eight years in prison for each of his three charges, plus one year post-release supervision, all running consecutively. So, she told Rogers, "You'll have 24 years to serve, plus three years total [probation]."
Afterward, Koerner said, "The judge only gave him one year above the minimum in the guidelines, so it wasn't terrible. But he's still got other fish to fry."