Ladell Tharpe, a 39-year-old man from Long Beach, was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison for his involvement in a smash-and-grab robbery at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, where more than $2.6 million in merchandise was stolen. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Tharpe participated in the robbery with co-defendants Deshon Bell, 22, Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, and an unnamed minor.
The group, which drove three vehicles to the store, used sledgehammers and crowbars to smash glass display cases while employees and customers were present inside. One of the vehicles had been stolen just four days before the robbery and was left abandoned in front of the store after the heist.
The group made off with at least 19 bracelets, 7 pairs of earrings, 4 necklaces, 8 rings, 20 watches, and a pair of obelisks, totaling an estimated value of $2,674,600. After the robbery, the group fled the scene, with Bell remaining behind the wheel of one of the vehicles.
Two days after the robbery, Tharpe posted photos of large amounts of cash on his Instagram account with the caption “Robbery Gang.”
Tharpe has been in federal custody since March 2023. Co-defendant Deshon Bell pleaded guilty and was sentenced in February to one year and one day in federal prison, along with a $2,674,000 restitution order. Jimmy Lee Vernon was sentenced last month to over six years in prison, also ordered to pay $2,674,000 in restitution.
