Flashy Post, Federal Time: Smash-and-Grab Mastermind Sentenced
Ladell Tharpe, 39, received an 84-month sentence from U.S. District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $2,674,600 in restitution to the victimized business. Tharpe pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery under the federal Hobbs Act.
The Long Beach man was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison for his involvement in a violent 2022 smash-and-grab robbery at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, during which more than $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen, and he then flaunted in a post on his Instagram account.
According to court documents, Tharpe and three accomplices — Deshon Bell, 22, Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, and a juvenile — drove three vehicles to the jewelry store on a March afternoon. Armed with sledgehammers and crowbars, the group smashed through glass display cases as employees and customers watched in terror.
The group made off with an array of high-value items, including 20 watches, 19 bracelets, eight rings, four necklaces, and other luxury goods valued at over $2.6 million. One of the getaway cars had been reported stolen four days earlier and was abandoned outside the store following the robbery.
Authorities said Tharpe later took to social media to boast about the heist. Two days after the robbery, he posted images on Instagram showing large stacks of cash alongside the words “Robbery Gang.”
“This brazen criminal action directly targeted a small business in Los Angeles County and will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “The consequences for such action are severe and penalized accordingly.”
“Mr. Tharpe terrified his victims during this violent robbery carried out in broad daylight, then shamelessly boasted about it online,” added Akil Davis, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. Tharpe has remained in federal custody since his arrest in March 2023.
Co-defendants Bell and Vernon also pleaded guilty to federal robbery charges. Bell was sentenced to one year and one day in prison earlier this year and ordered to pay full restitution. Vernon, whose cellphone was recovered at the crime scene after falling from his sweatpants, received an 80-month sentence last month and was similarly ordered to repay $2.6 million.
“The Beverly Hills Police Department is committed to protecting our community and ensuring justice,” said Police Chief Mark Stainbrook. “Crime will not be tolerated in Beverly Hills.”
The FBI and Beverly Hills Police Department jointly investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Kevin B. Reidy prosecuted it.
