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Blue Bandanna Bandit Pleads Guilty

WILLIAMSPORT — The man accused of seven convenience store robberies in Lycoming and Clinton counties entered guilty pleas on Monday and received a lengthy...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The man accused of seven convenience store robberies in Lycoming and Clinton counties entered guilty pleas on Monday and received a lengthy prison sentence.

Steven Long used a cane for support as he walked into the Lycoming County Courthouse. The man from Williamsport pleaded guilty to several charges in connection with recent armed robberies and one attempted robbery in Lycoming and Clinton Counties.

In many surveillance photos, the robber had his face covered with a blue bandanna.

Long wasn't talking after the judge sentenced him to 22 to 50 years in prison.

Court papers tell the story of the robbery spree that started in mid-December.

There were two robberies at Puff Tobacco Products in Williamsport.

Long also hit the Nittany Minit Mart in Loyalsock Township, Turkey Hill in Fairfield Township, Puffs in Lock Haven, another Turkey Hill in Duboistown, and finally, a Minit Mart in Jersey Shore.

The spree ended in early January when police arrested Long near Avis after a high-speed chase.

In court, when asked why he did it, Long said, "I was just thinking about where I was going to get my next fix, so I wouldn't get sick. Nothing I did was worth it."

Other convenient stores in the area tend to agree with what Long said but also feel more secure knowing he'll be spending time behind bars.

"He could have been in here, honestly, and scoped out the place because he wasn't dumb. Desperate, but not dumb," said Tim Williams, Your Choice Exxon.

"I think what he is getting is what he deserves. Heroin is no joke," said Shane Hofer of Montoursville. "It's a very, very bad drug."

Long's guilty pleas come less than two months after his arrest. The D.A. says Long was cooperative from the beginning and wanted to start serving his time.

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