A San Pedro man, Gregory James, 48, who was already on parole for a previous armed robbery conviction, has been sentenced to almost 15 years behind bars following a brazen daylight heist of an armored truck in Harbor City, as per a statement from the Justice Department. James, along with his accomplice, Lamond Akins, 31, from Compton, ambushed the truck's driver after he had serviced an ATM at a Bank of America branch.
The duo, both armed, demanded cash from the driver. In a violent confrontation, the driver was shot and seriously wounded, ultimately requiring surgery to recover from his injuries. The robbers managed to make off with approximately $145,000. James has been in federal lockup since his arrest in October 2022 and faced the legal consequences this Monday, with United States District Judge David O. Carter delivering the sentence of 177 months.
A report by the Justice Department details that on June 12, James admitted guilt to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. His cohort, Akins, received the same sentence on October 27 after also pleading guilty to identical charges.
The hefty prison term aims to reflect the severity of the crime and the impact on the victims involved. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, along with the FBI, spearheaded the investigation into this daring daylight robbery, receiving crucial support from the Gardena Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremiah M. Levine prosecuted the case, ensuring that these repeat offenders were kept off the streets for a significant period of time.
The official contact for the case, Public Information Officer Ciaran McEvoy, is available for more details and can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (213) 894-4465. The announcement was made earlier today, bringing to a close a chapter that left a profound impact on the victim and the Harbor City community at large.
