Four Individuals Charged For Series of Armored Vehicle Robberies

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Three men and one woman, who were arrested on Sept. 8, in connection with a series of violent armored vehicle robberies that occurred in Las Vegas and Henderson, made their initial appearances in federal court Monday, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Office, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Acting Chief Todd Peters for the Henderson Police Department.

Trayvale Harrison, 30, of Barstow, Calif.; Phillip Shiel, 22, of Los Angeles, Calif.; Randel Burge, 35, and Ianthe Rowland, 34, both of Las Vegas, are each charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In addition, Harrison, Burge, and Rowland are charged with four more counts of interference with commerce by robbery. The defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Carl W. Hoffman. Harrison, Shiel, and Burge were detained and Rowland was released with conditions.

According to a criminal complaint, the defendants allegedly conspired to rob armored vehicles in Las Vegas and Henderson. The first robbery took place on June 5, at the Green Valley Grocery at 5324 South Fort Apache Road. An armed man told a Loomis armored vehicle guard to drop the money bag as the guard exited the store. The guard complied and the robber fled with the money bag. One month later, on July 5, two men wearing masks and armed with firearms robbed a Garda armored vehicle in front of a Walmart at 490 East Silverado Ranch Boulevard. The robbers told the guard “Drop the bags, drop the bags!” to which the guard complied. They fled with the money bag. Then, on Aug. 14, a Loomis armored vehicle was robbed in front of a Wells Fargo Bank at 101 North Pecos Road in Henderson. The robbers had firearms and fled with the money bag. The fourth armed robbery occurred on Aug. 25, in front of a Wells Fargo Bank at 445 Windmill Road. They robbed a Loomis armored vehicle and fled with the money bag. On Sept. 8, the defendants were set to rob another armored vehicle at the Chase Bank located at 2165 East Windmill Lane. The defendants were apprehended and taken into custody by law enforcement before the robbery took place.

If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is up to life in prison for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The investigation leading to the arrests and charges was conducted jointly by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery and Major Violators sections, and the Henderson Police Department. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force consists of FBI Special Agents and Detectives from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina D. Silva and Phillip N. Smith Jr.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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