Leeper heads to prison; Initial plea changed to guilty in mid-January

Published 10:20 am Tuesday, March 8, 2016

The man arrested in a McDonald’s line on suspicion of committing two armed robberies, shoplifting from Walmart and assaulting a gas station worker the same day he was released from jail after posting bond was sentenced in January.

Dylan Leeper

Dylan Leeper

Dylan Arthur Leeper, 22, changed his plea to guilty Jan. 15 in that case on two charges of aggravated robbery, and five other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced on Jan. 15 with 13 years in prison for both charges, with credit for 63 days, and a fine of $715 in restitution.

In a separate case, Leeper pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2015, to one count of aggravated robbery with a dangerous weapon, and a second charge was dismissed, in a case where he beat up a pizza driver to steal his money. He was sentenced with just over eight years in prison with credit for 166 days, to be served at the same time as the robbery charges, and a fine of $5,086.48.

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In a third case, Leeper pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2015, to a charge of theft, and two other charges were dismissed, in a case where he stole a vehicle and got in a crash with another vehicle. He was sentenced to two years in prison with credit for 194 days to be served at the same time as the robbery charges and the pizza driver case, and a fine of $1,200.

Leeper, who had been previously charged in several prior incidents, was released from jail Nov. 12, 2015, after posting $100,000 bond before being arrested that night on suspicion of the shoplifting incident and the robberies at Reed’s Fourth Ave. and Hari Food Mart, which were allegedly committed with a black handgun.

Leeper was charged Nov. 13 in Mower County court with two counts of felony aggravated robbery, three counts of felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of felony fifth-degree assault and one count of misdemeanor theft, to which he pleaded not guilty to all.

According to the court complaint, Leeper shoplifted from Walmart during two different trips Thursday, robbed Reed’s Fourth Ave., 901 Fourth Ave. NE, at gunpoint and assaulted the clerk, and robbed Hari Food Mart Shell gas, 709 21st St. NE, at gunpoint.

Leeper was reportedly accompanied by a white female, believed to be Amber Katusky who was later arrested and charged with two counts of aiding and abetting aggravated robbery with possession of a dangerous weapon — both felonies. She pleaded not guilty.

Less than an hour later, officers saw Leeper run to the McDonald’s at 1009 W. Oakland Ave. After resisting arrest, Leeper was taken into custody.

Leeper’s release from jail came after he posted $100,000 conditional bond before the alleged spree, even though he had been scheduled to be sentenced 13 days later on Nov. 25, 2015, after taking a plea deal in regards to his multiple prior cases on Oct. 9, 2015.

Those charges stem from Leeper beating a pizza delivery driver to steal his money and escaping from a Mower County court room. Leeper was on probation for stealing cars and getting into several accidents in southwest Austin. He has also been charged with shoplifting in another case.