Long Beach Man Sentenced for $2.6M Jewelry Heist

Ladell Tharpe, a 39-year-old from Long Beach, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his involvement in a 2022 smash-and-grab robbery at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, where over $2.6 million worth of merchandise was stolen. Tharpe pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and was ordered to pay restitution amounting to the value of the stolen items. Alongside accomplices, including Deshon Bell and Jimmy Lee Vernon III, Tharpe used sledgehammers and crowbars to break jewelry cases, making off with items such as bracelets, rings, and watches. Tharpe flaunted the crime's proceeds on Instagram, posting photos with cash and tagging 'Robbery Gang.' Authorities were able to tie the group to the crime partially due to a cellphone dropped by Vernon at the scene. Bell received a lesser sentence of one year and a day, while Vernon was sentenced to nearly seven years for his role in the heist.