A 24-year-old man has been charged in the Sunday robbery of a Bismarck gas station.

Casey Bays was charged with Class B felony robbery Thursday.

South Central District Court Judge Sonna Anderson set bond for Bays at $5,000 cash or surety. Anderson also said Bays cannot be within 100 yards of Loaf 'N Jug, the gas station that was robbed Sunday.

The North Dakota Century Code defines robbery as the use of force or threat of force in committing a theft, and the offense is usually a Class C felony.

However, the crime jumps to a Class B felony if the suspect possesses or pretends to possess a firearm, the state law says. Class B felonies are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.

A 22-year-old male cashier at the gas station at 2600 E. Rosser Ave. called Bismarck police at 8:50 p.m. Sunday to report that a man in his 20s had held him up. He said the man entered the business and told him he wanted money and had a gun. He said the man reached into his back waist band, though he never displayed a gun.

Police said the cashier gave the suspect some money, and the man left eastbound from the gas station.

Police began looking for the suspect, who was described as a white man, 6 feet 2 inches tall and more than 300 pounds. The cashier also told police the suspect had curly, bleached blond, afro-type hair.

Tuesday, police released photographs of the suspect taken from surveillance video at Loaf 'N Jug to the media.

Lt. Dan Donlin said the department received two independent tips Wednesday from people who had seen the photographs and thought the man looked like Bays. Police found Bays and brought him to the station for questioning on Wednesday, Donlin said.

"When we found him, he had shaved his head," Donlin said.

After questioning, Bays was placed under arrest for the robbery, Donlin said.

Bays was placed in the Burleigh County Detention Center at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Cynthia Feland said Bays has no other criminal charges and no convictions in North Dakota, though she had not obtained an out-of-state criminal history. She requested he be held on $5,000 cash bond.

Bays said Thursday at his initial court appearance that he is a full-time student at the University of Mary and lives on campus.

"I'm not going to go anywhere," he told Anderson. "I've never really been in any trouble."

Tom Ackerman, University of Mary spokesman, said Bays is a student at the university.

Tim Seaworth, vice president for student development, said Bays is a junior from Corvallis, Mont. Seaworth said he could not comment on the university's policies regarding criminal charges or convictions of students.

According to the 2005 U-Mary football roster, Bays was a defensive lineman for the Marauders last season. Ackerman said Bays is not a student athlete at this time.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com)