Three Men Handed Significant Sentences in Robbery Conspiracy

HOUSTON – Three area men are now headed to federal prison for 41-49 years following their convictions and participation in a robbery crew that committed more than 30 different armed robberies throughout Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Jerrol Bluford, 22, entered his guilty plea Nov. 23, 2015, while co-conspirators Calvin Smith, 20, and Jamone Jones, 21, had previously entered guilty pleas Aug. 28 and Oct. 26, 2015, respectively, to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and two counts each of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

 

Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner handed Jones a total sentence of 588 months in federal prison – 240 months for the robbery conspiracy in  addition to 48 and 300 months for the first and second firearms charges which must be served consecutively to each other and to the underlying conspiracy. Bluford received 169 months for the conspiracy as well as consecutive sentences of 84 and 300 months for the firearms charges for a total of 553 months, while the court handed Smith a total sentence of 492 months – 168 months for the conspiracy and another 24 and 300 months for the firearms charges, respectively. All were also ordered to pay restitution and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.

 

A fourth defendant - Rodney Ford, 19 – pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2015, and will be sentenced later this month.

 

Between Jan. 9, 2015, and Jan. 25, 2015, the four men committed approximately 31 armed robberies of a variety of establishments, including restaurants, stores and phone companies. Each robbery was a take-over style robbery during which a member of the robbery crew brandished a firearm and demanded money from employees at gunpoint, taking cash from the cash registers and safes through threat of force. On multiple occasions, the crew members sole merchandise such as cellular phones from the business and cash from the customers who were present during the robberies. Some of the robberies were even committed in the presence of children. In one instance, the robbery crew attempted to steal the store owner’s vehicle.

 

All of the defendants have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

 

These charges arose from an investigation conducted by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, Harris County Sheriff’s Office Robbery Division and Houston Police Department North Robbery Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Searle is prosecuting the case.