Cincinnati Man Held on High Bond for Attempted Robbery in Dearborn Co.

The incident took place on September 17.

Gregory Lucas.

(St. Leon, Ind.) - Gregory Lucas, 20, of Cincinnati, has received his initial hearing in Dearborn County Court stemming from an incident that occurred on September 17 in St. Leon.

An individual was selling a van on Facebook Marketplace when they received a message from an individual, later identified as Lucas, asking if the individual would accept two ounces of cocaine, $4,500 cash and marijuana as payment for the van. The individual and Lucas made arrangements to meet at the Amoco gas station, in St. Leon on September 17. The individual selling the van reached out to the Indiana State Police and detectives advised that the individual selling the van would not be present at Amoco.

Around 6:30 p.m. that day, two plain clothes detectives were in the area awaiting the arrival of Lucas. Detectives observed a male wearing a ski mask, black fleece jacket and black pants on a day where temperatures were in the 90s. The male continued towards the Amoco station from the roadway and immediately looked into a passenger van at a gas pump. 

Detectives continued to observe Lucas as he walked around the gas station multiple times and entered the business for a brief period. Indiana State Police Troopers were called to the Amoco station and made contact with Lucas, who advised the Troopers he was there to purchase a vehicle and that he had messages confirming the meeting location. 

According to a news release, Lucas accidentally showed a message to the effect of, "I got that weed." When Troopers asked Lucas if he had weed on him, Lucas replied he did not and that he could search him. At that point, Lucas allegedly attempted to run away. He was taken into custody a short time later. 

One Trooper sustained a bite injury to his should, a cut to the inside of his mouth, a scratch down the left side of his face, and a shoulder injury that required a visit to an orthopedic doctor. 

Following Lucas' arrest, Troopers located a loaded Glock 27 with an extended magazine in Lucas' jacket pocket and a Swiss Army knife. Lucas allegedly admitted that he agreed to bring two ounces of cocaine and two guns as payment, which he did not have on his person. Lucas advised that the Swiss Army knife was from his grandfather before he passed away. When asked why it was open, Lucas stated he did not know what was going to happen, it was laid out in case someone started to give him problems.

Officers applied for a search warrant for Lucas’ phone and it was granted. After a forensic analysis of Lucas’ cell phone, it was learned that Lucas was using another name and interacting with friends. Under Lucas’ alias, a conversation he had with a buddy, approximately three hours prior to arriving in Indiana to meet the individual selling the van, Lucas tells them that “Finna rob these 2 **ga. One today one Saturday.”

Lucas is charged with Attempted Robbery, a Level 3 Felony, three counts of Battery on a Public Safety Official, Level 5 Felonies and Resisting Law Enforcement, a Level 5 Felony.

After testimony at the Initial Hearing, Judge Sally McLaughlin found that Lucas presented a “risk to community safety and risk of failing to appear. Although no criminal history, officer testified as to pre-planning; loaded gun and knife at scene on defendant or placed by defendant.”

Bond was set in the amount of $1 million cash and $500,000.00 surety. His next hearing date, a pre-trial conference is set for January 2, 2026, at 11:15 a.m.