Bend man sentenced to more than 10 years for armed robbery at cannabis dispensary

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Russell Ian Boggess, a 43-year-old resident of Bend, Ore., was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence.

The sentence follows an armed robbery at Top Shelf Medicine cannabis dispensary on Greenwood Avenue in Bend on July 23, 2024, during which Boggess held an employee at gunpoint with a 9mm handgun, attempted to shoot the victim twice and struck the employee before stealing marijuana.

According to court documents, Boggess entered the dispensary wearing a bandana over his face and carrying a bag. He pointed the handgun at an employee and demanded marijuana stored behind the counter. Boggess attempted to fire the weapon twice near the employee, but the gun jammed both times. He then walked behind the counter, grabbed the marijuana himself and pistol-whipped the employee when the worker tried to call 911.

Other employees put the suspect into a headlock and held him until officers arrived less than a minute later. Two employees were injured while they restrained Boggess.

Officers from the Bend Police Department arrested Boggess. Law enforcement recovered the handgun, which was equipped with a 34-round magazine. Subsequent test-firing by investigators confirmed that the firearm was fully operational.

On Sept. 19, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a three-count indictment charging Boggess with interference with commerce by threats or violence, being a felon in possession of ammunition and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The FBI and the Bend Police Department conducted the investigation and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Nelson and Assistant U.S. Attorney William McLaren prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was carried out under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative designed to curb violent crime through inter-agency coordination. The Department of Justice outlined the scope of the nationwide program. “Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.

Federal officials noted that the program adapts its enforcement strategy based on local district needs. “Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges,” the Department of Justice stated. The department added that “as a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe” through rapid response, strategic partnerships and targeted prosecutions.