Indianapolis man sentenced to over 14 years for holding up south side bakery

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man will spend more than a dozen years in federal prison for a 2021 armed robbery at a south side bakery.

A federal judge sentenced Ryan Hickey, 34, to over 14 years in prison after Hickey pleaded guilty to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

On Jan. 30, 2021, Hickey made a purchase at Boyden’s Southside Bakery on South Meridian Street, according to court documents.

He left the bakery after making his purchase, but returned to the back door a short time later.

After knocking on the door, he was greeted by two female employees. Hickey waved a gun at the employees, announced he was robbing the business, and fired a shot between the workers into the kitchen.

Another employee at the front of the bakery heard the gunshot, saw Hickey walking toward the front of the business, and grabbed her own gun.

Hickey demanded money at the cash register, where there was a brief struggle between Hickey and the employee with the gun. Hickey then ran away through the bakery’s back door.

A customer at the bakery saw what was happening, ran after Hickey, and eventually caught him.

After a brief struggle, Hickey pulled a gun out of his pocket and threatened to shoot the customer in the head.

Hickey ran away and drove off in a car, but not before the customer saw his license plate number.

A witness across the street saw the struggle between Hickey and the customer and decided to follow Hickey as he drove from the scene. The witness gave police a description of Hickey’s car as well as his license plate number.

A short time later, police found Hickey’s car parked outside a house. Hickey left the house and went back to the car, but ran back into the house after seeing police outside.

A short standoff ensued, after which Hickey surrendered and was arrested.

Hickey admitted to robbing Boyden’s Southside Bakery. Police searched the house and found the semiautomatic pistol Hickey used in the robbery.

Hickey has numerous prior felony convictions, including armed robbery and dealing in a controlled substance.

“The people of our community should not have to fear armed, violent criminals as they simply try to do their jobs or patronize a business. Repeat offenders engaged in gun crimes will face serious consequences for their actions. Working closely with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners to help stem the tide of violent crime in Indianapolis is a top priority in the Southern District of Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The sentence imposed today should demonstrate to the public, and to the defendant, that we will work vigorously to protect the public and hold those who commit violent crimes accountable.”

“This is yet another example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime in Indianapolis,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “I am grateful for the work our detectives, federal investigators, and federal prosecutors put into this case as well as their continued collaboration.”

Hickey must serve three years on probation following his release from federal prison.