Henderson Man Convicted Of Pawn Shop Robbery

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – After a three-day trial, a jury convicted a man who wore a “Jason” style hockey mask during a robbery of a Las Vegas pawn shop, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

Jessie Mendoza, 38, of Henderson, Nev., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of interference with commerce by robbery. United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks presided over the jury trial and scheduled sentencing for Dec. 7, 2017.

According to the criminal complaint and indictment, on Sept. 12, 2016, Mendoza and his co-conspirators conspired with each other to rob an EZ Pawn store at 3010 South Valley View Blvd. in Las Vegas. During the robbery, Mendoza acted as a lookout at the front entrance to the store while his co-conspirators stole rings, jewelry, watches, gems, and other property from display cases. They stole approximately $123,000 worth of high value jewelry items and watches.

At the time of sentencing, the defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina D. Silva and Kilby Macfadden prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment by the Department of Justice to reduce gun and gang crime in America by networking local programs that target gun and gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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