A man representing himself in an aggravated robbery case was found guilty by a Criminal Court jury on Wednesday afternoon.

The jury in the courtroom of Judge Barry Steelman deliberated an hour and a half before finding Gary Dewayne Thompson guilty of aggravated robbery.

Thompson will be sentenced on April 26. He faces 12-20 years.

In his lengthy closing argument, Thompson had rapped the judge and police.

The 32-year-old Thompson said Judge Steelman ruled out much of his evidence.

He said he wanted Judge Steelman to recuse himself "because he is a former prosecutor."

Thompson also told the jury he believes that city detectives "manufactured" and "planted" evidence against him.

He said he was home at an apartment complex having sex with his fiancee when the 4:40 a.m. robbery happened at the Mapco on Lee Highway on June 22, 2008.

Thompson said the clerk first told authorities the robber was shorter and darker skinned than he is.

He said it did not make sense that the robber would have tossed out the clothes worn at the time of the robbery along Vance Road.

Thompson also said he has three cars and would have had no need to borrow a vehicle as testified by Kathy Johnson. Ms. Johnson said she was called by Thompson's fiancee, who asked that Thompson be allowed to use her car "to run to the store." She said Thompson was gone about 15 minutes and came back wearing a different shirt.

Prosecutor Boyd Patterson said the clerk was face to face with the robber and was 100 percent sure it was Thompson.

He said the clerk, Brad Tucker, was able to get the license tag off the robber's car and that led police to Ms. Johnson.

The prosecutor said DNA from a pair of red shoes and a hat worn by the robber matched Thompson's DNA. Thompson told the jury he was a fine dresser and "wouldn't wear those clothes to cut grass."

Prosecutor Patterson said Thompson had been portraying himself as a David going up against a Goliath, but he said the morning of the robbery he was alone with a 20-year-old clerk and "he was the Goliath then."

The prosecutor said the case was only expected to last three days, but is in its second week.

Since Thompson raised the issue, the state was able to point out that he served a nine-year sentence for aggravated robbery when he was 19 and he had three assault and two domestic assault convictions as well.

The jury was not told that Thompson also had a second aggravated robbery conviction that he served 33 months for before a new trial was ordered, then it was dismissed.