Man pleads guilty to Greene robberies

STANARDSVILLE — A Crimora man will spend 11 years in prison after admitting that he robbed three Ruckersville businesses at knifepoint.
Brian Eugene Brubaker, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery Tuesday in Greene County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Daniel R. Bouton sentenced him to 10 years in prison on each charge, but suspended 19 years as part of a plea agreement.

Brubaker was tied to three robberies on June 17 in Greene, and is facing charges in connection with other incidents in Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Staunton and Augusta County. Defense attorney Michael Hallahan said in court that Tuesday’s pleas were the first guilty pleas that Brubaker has entered in the regional robberies.
In court Tuesday, Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronald Morris said Brubaker was in town to fix a trailer.
“He didn’t intend to rob anyone,” Morris said in court, “but he told [a Harrisonburg police officer], ‘I was addicted to it.’”

The first robbery was at Bootville. Morris told the judge Tuesday that the store’s clerk greeted Brubaker, who came into the store with a knife with a shopping bag over it and asked her for money. Brubaker took $250, Morris said in court, and left after warning her not to say anything. The woman locked the door after he left and called authorities.
In court Tuesday, Morris said Brubaker turned right after leaving the store and entered the Crawford Saddlery. Brubaker reportedly approached the owner with a knife in his hand and asked for money. Morris said in court that Brubaker left with $195.

A few hours later, Brubaker went to the meat department of Food Lion. Morris said in court that Brubaker asked the manager there to slice some steaks for him before he went to the front of the store and talked to two employees. Brubaker told them that it was a robbery, Morris told the judge, and that he would have his gun-toting partner shoot the meat manager if they did not comply. Brubaker left with $441.
No one else was charged in connection with the robberies.
A few days later, Brubaker was arrested in Harrisonburg in connection with a robbery at a Tractor Supply Co. store. Morris said in court Tuesday that Brubaker made a full confession June 24 to police about the Greene County robberies and others.

Brubaker did not say anything on his behalf before sentencing Tuesday.
As part of his sentence, Brubaker will have to serve three years of supervised probation, pay restitution to the Ruckersville stores and be on good behavior for 20 years. He will be banned from the businesses he robbed during his good behavior period.
Brubaker is being held at the Rockingham-Harrisonburg Regional Jail.