A Long Beach man pleaded guilty Monday, Sept. 30, to participating in the daytime smash-and-grab robbery of a Beverly Hills jewelry store where nearly $2.7 million in merchandise was stolen — and which he later displayed on Instagram.
Ladell Tharpe, 39, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On March 23, 2022, Tharpe, Deshon Bell, 22, of Long Beach, and Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, also of Long Beach, along with others, committed a robbery of the Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills store. Vernon used heavy tools to smash the store’s display case while employees were present.
Tharpe led cars used to transport the robbers and the getaway vehicle to the location. Bell was one of the getaway drivers. Tharpe also conducted surveillance and acted as the lookout for the robbers, court papers show.
Vernon removed jewelry and other items from the display cases valued at nearly $2.7 million: 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings and 20 watches, court documents state.
After the robbery, Vernon and his accomplices ran out of the store, leaving behind their Kia — which had been reported stolen out of Long Beach four days before the robbery, documents show.
During the heist, Vernon’s cellphone fell out of his pocket while he smashed the store’s window and was later recovered by law enforcement, according to an affidavit filed in L.A. federal court.
Two days after the robbery, Tharpe posted on his Instagram account numerous photographs that included large stacks of money and a message praising his “robbery gang,” court documents state.
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu scheduled a Jan. 6 sentencing hearing for Tharpe, who will face up to 20 years in federal prison. Tharpe has been in federal custody since March 2023.
Bell and Vernon each have pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In February, Wu sentenced Bell to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered him to pay restitution. The sentencing hearing for Vernon, who has been in federal custody since September 2022, is scheduled for Dec. 5.
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