A 7‑Eleven robbery crew that cleaned out lottery Scratchers and other goods from stores across southern Los Angeles County is now headed to state prison. Three defendants were sentenced to 13 years this week after pleading no contest to charges tied to a 2024 spree that, according to prosecutors, brought in more than $200,000 and at times involved threats or assaults on store workers.
Pleas, sentences, and the scope of the spree
Prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Darrick Johnson, 29, and Taivyon Spells, 20, each entered no contest pleas to 11 felony counts of second‑degree robbery. A third defendant, 29‑year‑old James Guillermo Guyton, pleaded no contest to five counts of second‑degree robbery, two counts of grand theft, and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
The office tied the group to 28 coordinated 7‑Eleven robberies between February and April 2024, all at stores in southern Los Angeles County. Officials said the value of stolen Scratchers and other merchandise exceeded $200,000. A bench warrant remains outstanding for a fourth defendant, Jose Guzman Ferreyra, the office added, according to MyNewsLA.
How investigators tracked stolen tickets
Investigators say the break in the case came from the tickets themselves. Each pack of California Lottery Scratchers carries unique pack and ticket serial numbers, which can be flagged once reported stolen. Detectives tracked those numbers and then matched video of people redeeming the winning tickets to the suspects.
The investigation brought together the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, local city police agencies, and California State Lottery investigators, who followed the trail from the targeted 7‑Eleven counters to the locations where tickets were cashed. For more on how lottery investigators and local agencies typically coordinate in theft cases, see the California State Lottery and coverage by the Los Angeles Times.
Prosecutor's statement
District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said the crew’s conduct “put workers in grave danger” and that the 13‑year state prison terms are meant to send a message about “repeated, brazen crimes.” He noted that many of the affected locations were franchise operations where owners had poured in their life savings, and said the sentences reflect prosecutors’ view of the human cost behind the dollar figures. His remarks and the office’s announcement were reported by MyNewsLA.
Broader context for retailers
Similar theft crews have been targeting convenience stores across Los Angeles County, leaving retailers and franchise owners on edge and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hole. Earlier Scratchers thefts that totaled roughly $250,000 prompted sheriff’s detectives to again partner with state lottery agents to make arrests, illustrating why prosecutors and law enforcement officials keep stressing multi‑agency cooperation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The investigation that led to this latest round of pleas similarly united county and city detectives with California State Lottery investigators and several local police departments. Working together, they tracked stolen Scratchers packs from the moment they were taken to the places where the tickets were redeemed. The lottery’s Security and Law Enforcement Division describes that kind of collaboration as a standard part of its effort to detect and investigate stolen Scratchers, according to the California State Lottery.
