One of the men behind the robber of Smash and Grub in Beverly Hill was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Ladell Tharpe of Long Beach pleaded guilty after he and his accomplices, two men and a minor, drove three cars into a jewellery store on South Beverly Drive, smashing the display case with more than $2.6 million worth of gemstones on March 22, 2022, and using three cars.
Authorities said Tharpe and his group were stolen in a getaway car that had been stolen four days before the robbery, before stealing at least 19 pairs of earrings, four necklaces, four obelisks, eight rings and 20 watches.
A few days after the robbery, 39-year-old Tharpe posted a photo of himself holding a large amount of cash on Instagram with the text “The Robber Gang.”
The Justice Department said Ladell Tharpe posted a photo of himself on social media with a ton of cash a few days after the robbery.
Tharpe, who has been in federal custody since March 2023, was also ordered to pay $2,674,600 in reparations.
“A brave criminal lawsuit directly targeting small businesses in Los Angeles County will not be tolerated,” Joseph McNally said. “The consequences of such actions are serious and punished accordingly.”
One of his accomplices, Jimmy Lee Vernon III of Long Beach, also pleaded guilty and sentenced to more than six years in prison. Authorities said Vernon dropped his phone while robbing, and the phone was recovered by investigators.
The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department conducted a joint investigation into the incident.
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