Four Los Angeles County men were arrested Tuesday in connection with a series of armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores and CVS last year, which they allegedly later posted on Instagram.
In an indictment unsealed Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Charles Christopher, 24, of Compton; D’Angelo Spencer, 26, of South Los Angeles; Jordan Leonard ), 25, of Torrance; and Tazjar Rouse, 22, of Hollywood, who committed multiple armed robberies between November 4 and December 24.
Christopher and Leonard pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles and were sentenced to jail without bail. Their trial is scheduled for September 17.
Rouse appeared in federal court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, and Spencer is expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The indictment details the alleged robbery.
While at least one person in the group stayed outside to act as a lookout or getaway driver, others entered the store during business hours, jumped over the counter, took money from the register and stuffed it into black Nike bags, the indictment said. During the robbery, one of the defendants, usually Christopher or Leonard, pointed a gun at store employees or customers and demanded their cellphones or wallets, prosecutors said.
The indictment also alleges that the men made multiple Instagram posts after the robbery that described items that matched the cash or merchandise taken from the store and showed them wearing clothing similar to those seen on surveillance video during the crime. The apparently identical clothes and guns.
On Nov. 4, Spencer, Christopher and two other men rode in a blue BMW to a 7-Eleven convenience store in South Los Angeles and fled with $2,495, the indictment said.
Hours later, Spencer’s Instagram account showed him wearing black clothing and a black ski mask, standing next to a wad of cash, matching the description of the clothing the suspect wore during the robbery.
On Nov. 28, Christopher, Spencer and at least one other person stole cash and an employee’s cellphone from a 7-Eleven in South Los Angeles, the indictment said.
Later that day, Spencer’s Instagram showed multiple photos of the cash. Leonard’s account also had a photo of the cash posted to it with the caption “Love my brother we get hit every time,” while tagged Christopher and Spencer’s Instagram accounts, the indictment said.
Two nights later, Leonard posted a video on Instagram showing a man holding cash with a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol next to him.
According to a public testimony, the gun in the video appears to be the same model, appearance and manufacturer as the gun used in the 7-Eleven robberies captured on surveillance video on Nov. 28, Dec. 11 and Dec. 24. indictment.
The indictment alleges that on Dec. 11, Christopher, Leonard and Rouse entered a CVS in Hollywood, jumped over the counter and stole cash and prescription drugs from the shelves.
The next day, Rouse allegedly posted several ads for the drug on Instagram and sent a direct message to another user, saying, “I have syrup.”
On Dec. 19, Spencer posted a video on Instagram that showed a group of men standing near a pile of prescription bottles and a black plastic trash bag.
“The prescription pill bottles were identical to property stolen in the CVS robbery; the black garbage bags were consistent with those used to store stolen drugs during the CVS robbery; Los Angeles Police Department Officer James A. Douglas “The person pictured is wearing the same clothing that the suspect wore during the crime,” an affidavit reads. “
In total, the men stole $7,617 in cash, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
