Two Detroit Men Sentenced Following Federal Conviction for Sterling Heights Armored Car Robbery

Two Detroit men were sentenced in federal district court for their roles in a Sterling Heights armored car robbery, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Ms. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Sentenced were David Simpson, 22, who received a sentenced of 147 months in prison, and Deondre Washington, 21, who received a sentenced of 128 months in federal prison. Both defendants will serve three years of supervision following their release from federal prison. The two pleaded guilty last November to charges of interference with commerce by armed robbery, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a stolen firearm. They were sentenced by the Honorable Nancy G. Edmunds on February 28 and March 1, 2012, respectively.

During their guilty pleas and in memoranda and argument submitted to the court at sentence, the following evidence was established:

Prior to July 8, 2011, Simpson was employed by Total Armored Car Service. Simpson became familiar with the route of the truck to which he was assigned. In the weeks prior to July 8, 2011, he recruited Washington and a third man, Fred Daniels, to assist in the armed robbery of Total’s truck while it was parked at a scheduled stop.

The armored truck driver was forced from the truck at gunpoint and Simpson and Washington stole the truck and over $300,000. The FBI, working in connection with Total Armored Car management, arrested Simpson and Washington a few days later.

Some of the stolen money was recovered, but not before thousands of dollars were spent on designer clothes and jewelry at the Somerset Collection in Troy.

Fred Daniels, who assisted as a driver of the “drop-off car” and transported Washington and Simpson to the robbery scene, pleaded guilty on February 14, 2012 and is awaiting sentence.

Kierra Lovelady was also charged in connection with the investigation for making false statements to a federal agent. Lovelady lied to the FBI repeatedly about the money, safe, and whereabouts of her boyfriend, lead defendant, David Simpson. A safe containing $150,000 was hidden in her bedroom closet. She was sentenced to two years’ probation.

United States Attorney Barbara McQuade said, “I want criminals to take note that we are focusing federal resources on cases of violent crime like this one because we can obtain significant prison sentences. In the federal system, sentences are stiff and there is no parole. We will remove from our community those people who threaten our public safety.”

McQuade praised the work of the Macomb Office of the FBI and Sterling Heights Police Department for the efficiency with which all of the participants were identified and arrested.

The law enforcement officers involved at both the state and federal level, McQuade said, demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism in their thorough investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorneys John O’Brien and Jeanine Brunson prosecuted the case for the United States.