Two Armed Robbers Sentenced to Life in Prison
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 28, 2013 |
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; Manuel Orosa, Chief, City of Miami Police Department; and Sergio Velazquez, Chief, Hialeah Police Department, announce that Daniel Rodriguez, 28, and Louis Robinson, Jr., 35, both of Miami, were each sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Rodriguez and Robinson were convicted by a jury in August of a string of armed robberies of jewelry stores that resulted in the shooting of one victim and the theft of over $1 million across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.
According to trial evidence and testimony, between July and November 2012, Rodriguez, Robinson, and their associates robbed four commercial establishments while armed with firearms and sledgehammers and utilizing stolen luxury vehicles. Specifically, in July 2012, the defendants and their associates conducted an armed robbery of the ABC Jewelry Store in Hialeah, Florida, stealing over $400,000 in jewelry and watches. During the robbery, defendant Robinson shot and nearly killed the store’s owner. In August 2012, the defendants and their associates conducted an armed robbery of the AT&T store in Coconut Grove, stealing over $20,000 in merchandise and victimizing store employees and customers. In September 2012, the defendants and their associates took over the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Boca Raton, stealing over $550,000 in jewelry and watches. In November 2012, the defendants and their associates conducted an armed robbery of the Jared’s Jewelry Store in Pembroke Pines, stealing over $100,000 in jewelry. At sentencing, Judge Altonaga determined that both Rodriguez and Robinson qualified as career offenders.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the members of the South Florida Violent Crimes Task Force, the FBI, the city of Miami Police Department, the Hialeah Police Department, and the Miami Beach Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth M. Schlessinger and Olivia S. Choe.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.