A North Hollywood woman who admitted she was behind the wheel for a rolling robbery spree that hit a Pasadena 7‑Eleven and a string of other late-night stops is about to learn how much of her life she will spend in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors say 50-year-old Abigail Luckey served as the getaway driver for a crew that targeted smoke shops, donut shops and multiple 7‑Eleven stores across Los Angeles and Orange counties in early 2024. Luckey pleaded guilty earlier this year and remains in federal custody while she waits to be sentenced.
From Jan. 29 to Feb. 14, 2024, the group robbed a dozen businesses across Southern California - nine 7‑Eleven stores, a smoke shop in Tustin and two donut shops - with Luckey at the wheel, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors say two masked men typically went inside while Luckey waited outside, and the crew took off in a white four-door sedan. The federal filing lists robbery locations in North Hollywood, Burbank, Torrance, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Glendale and Pasadena, among other cities, and notes that the investigation pulled in the FBI along with several local police departments.
How the spree unraveled
The run ended on Feb. 14 at a Downey donut shop, where an employee fired a handgun in self-defense during an attempted robbery and the suspects bolted, according to the Los Angeles Times. Law enforcement later stopped a car carrying Antonio Bland, Abigail Luckey and a third suspect and recovered a firearm from the vehicle. That traffic stop gave investigators the evidence they needed to file federal charges and connect the late-night hits across county lines under one case.
Plea and courtroom next steps
Luckey pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, according to Pasadena Now. Court filings and prosecutors’ statements show she admitted to at least one completed robbery and one attempted robbery after her arrest. Prosecutors say her co-defendants are also moving through the system: Antonio Bland has already been sentenced, and Ronnie Tucker has pleaded guilty and is waiting for his own sentencing date.
Bland received a long federal term
Antonio Lamar Bland was sentenced to 199 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $17,829 in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a Feb. 26 announcement. Prosecutors told the court that Bland brandished a firearm during some of the robberies and argued the crimes were committed purely for profit, a point they highlighted in their sentencing papers. The Justice Department credited the FBI and multiple local police departments with piecing together the spree and building the federal case.
Local businesses still feeling the impact
The string of robberies hit convenience stores, smoke shops and donut counters, leaving many small-business owners scrambling to rethink overnight staffing and security. Coverage in the Long Beach Post and other outlets has noted how quickly multiple shops in a tight radius can be victimized, complicating insurance claims and recovery efforts. Restitution orders can help patch some of the financial hole, but owners say the psychological toll on workers and the day-to-day disruption often stick around long after the glass is swept up.
Legal context and sentence exposure
Luckey pleaded to Hobbs Act counts that each carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which means two counts could add up to a 40-year maximum on paper, according to the Legal Information Institute. Separate federal law also imposes mandatory minimum terms when a firearm is used or brandished during a crime of violence, which can stack years onto any robbery sentence; those penalties are set out in 18 U.S.C. § 924, as summarized by the Legal Information Institute. Ultimately, the judge will choose a sentence within the federal framework after weighing the plea agreement, Luckey’s criminal history and whatever arguments prosecutors and defense lawyers bring to the hearing.
