A Long Beach resident, Ladell Tharpe, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his involvement in a 2022 smash-and-grab robbery at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, where over $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen. United States District Judge George H. Wu also ordered Tharpe to pay restitution amounting to $2,674,600.
Tharpe admitted guilt in September 2024 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, also known as the Hobbs Act. Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally stated, “Brazen criminal action that directly targets our small businesses in Los Angeles County will not be tolerated.”
The robbery, carried out in March 2022, involved three accomplices: Deshon Bell, 22, Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, also from Long Beach, and an unnamed minor. They drove to the Beverly Hills store and used sledgehammers and crowbars to access the merchandise. One of their vehicles, reported stolen days prior, was left at the scene.
The stolen items included bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, and watches, valued at approximately $2,674,600. Following the robbery, Tharpe posted images of cash on Instagram with the caption “Robbery Gang.”
Ladell Tharpe has remained in federal custody since March 2023. His accomplices, Bell and Vernon, also faced justice. Bell was sentenced to a year and a day in prison in February 2024, while Vernon received an 80-month sentence last month after his cellphone was retrieved by investigators at the crime scene.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Kevin B. Reidy prosecuted the case with the cooperation of the FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department. Akil Davis from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office commented on the case saying, “Mr. Tharpe terrified his victims during this violent robbery...then shamelessly boasted about it online.”
Mark G. Stainbrook, Beverly Hills Police Chief, expressed gratitude towards the investigating authorities, reiterating that “crime will not be tolerated in Beverly Hills.”