Man who carried out armed robbery with no pants on at Montana gas station jailed

A man who carried out an armed robbery at a Montana gas station while wearing no pants has now been jailed.

The bizarre robbery unfolded on October 16 2023 when Samuel James Collins barged into a Town Pump gas station in Townsend, near Great Falls, wearing a hooded blanket coat, but no pants or shoes, and fired a round from a pistol, prosecutors said.

Collins, 34, then demanded money from two employees who handed over roughly $330 in cash, before he fled the scene in a pickup truck.

The entire incident was captured on surveillance footage, showing the armed robber’s unusual choice of attire.

Just 20 minutes after fleeing the scene, the 34-year-old was tracked down by Meagher County Sheriff’s Office deputies and taken into custody.

Officers found a loaded 9mm pistol, $329 in cash and a shell casing inside his truck.

A bullet and shell casing recovered from the gas station were found to match the pistol, prosecutors said.

Collins pleaded guilty in July to possessing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.