Four Los Angeles County men were arrested Tuesday in connection with a series of armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores and a CVS last year, which they then allegedly posted about 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 committed multiple armed robberies between Nov. 4 and Dec. 24.
Christopher and Leonard pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles and were ordered held without bail. Their trial is scheduled for Sept. 17.
Rouse appeared in federal court in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, and Spencer was expected to be arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
The indictment details the alleged thefts.
According to the indictment, while at least one of the group remained outside as a lookout or getaway driver, the others would enter stores during business hours, jump over counters and take money from cash registers that they then placed in a black Nike bag. During the robberies, prosecutors say, one of the defendants, usually Christopher or Leonard, would point a gun at a store employee or customer and demand their cellphones or wallets.
The indictment also alleges that the men made multiple Instagram posts after the robberies that showed cash or property matching what was stolen from the stores, and that showed them wearing clothing and carrying a weapon apparently identical to those seen on surveillance video during the crimes.
On Nov. 4, the indictment says, Spencer, Christopher and two other men drove to a South Los Angeles 7-Eleven in a blue BMW and fled with $2,495.
Spencer's Instagram account hours later showed him standing next to a pile of cash, wearing black clothing and a black ski mask that matched the description of clothing worn by a suspect during the robbery.
On Nov. 28, according to the indictment, Christopher, Spencer and at least one other person stole cash and a cell phone from a 7-Eleven store employee in South Los Angeles.
Later that day, Spencer's Instagram account showed several photos of wads of cash. Leonard's account also showed a photo of cash along with the caption, “I love my brothers we always go get money,” while tagging Christopher and Spencer's Instagram accounts, according to the indictment.
Two nights later, Leonard posted a video on Instagram of a man's hand holding cash next to a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol.
The gun in the video appeared to be the same model and finish and from the same manufacturer as the one captured on surveillance video in the 7-Eleven robberies on Nov. 28, Dec. 11 and Dec. 24, according to an affidavit made public with the indictment.
On Dec. 11, the indictment says, Christopher, Leonard and Rouse walked into a CVS in Hollywood, jumped over counters and stole cash and prescription drugs from the shelves.
The next day, Rouse allegedly made several Instagram posts promoting drugs for sale and sent a direct message to another user saying, “Got syrup.”
On December 19, Spencer posted a video on Instagram showing a group of men standing near a pile of prescription drug bottles and a black plastic trash bag.
“The prescription bottles were identical to the stolen property during the CVS robbery; the black trash bag matched the one used to store the stolen medications during the CVS robbery; and the clothing worn by the individuals depicted was identical to clothing worn by the suspects during the crime,” Los Angeles Police Department Officer James A. Douglas wrote in an affidavit.
In total, the men allegedly stole $7,617 in cash, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.
