FBI Issues Armored Truck Security Alert

FBI Issue Armored Truck Security ALERT!

Los Angeles California March 4th, 2023

A group nicknamed the “Chesapeake Bandits” is being sought in connection with a series of robberies targeting armored vehicles across Los Angeles County.

The FBI is partnering with the Los Angeles, Hawthorne and Inglewood police departments to capture the wanted robbers.

Investigators believe the group is meeting and staging the robberies on Chesapeake Avenue in the West Adams neighborhood of L.A., and that the robbers surveilled the armored vehicle drivers beforehand, the FBI said in a news release.

The robberies then occurred in broad daylight, and the group has been linked to attacks with losses in the hundreds of thousands.

One man, Deneyvous Hobson, 36, has been arrested and charged with the crimes. Another man, James Russell Davis, 34, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint filed last month, but he remains on the lam.

At least five others are believed to be a part of the group, but they have not been identified.

The FBI on Thursday released surveillance images of them in hopes of apprehending them.

The group has targeted drive-thru ATMs and other businesses, including check-cashing locations, officials said.

“The suspects operate by overtaking the armored car driver when they service drive-thru ATMs or exit businesses. During the robberies, the victim drivers are zip-tied and held at gunpoint. They then enter the armed vehicle and steal the money,” the FBI detailed.

A shot was fired during one incident, but no one was injured. Officials are worried, however, that the robbers will become more brazen, and that someone may be harmed or killed if they are not caught.

“When you look at the tactics being used here, someone equated it to something that you see out of the movies,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said during a news conference Thursday. “The challenge with this is, this is real life. The weapons that we’ve described here will take lives.”

The FBI described the following incidents tied to the suspects in this case:

Around 8:50 a.m. Feb. 14, 2022, multiple suspects robbed a Sectran Security armored car driver at the Wescom Credit Union on 2871 W. 120th Street in Hawthorne. An AR-15 and a black semi-automatic handgun were seen, and a white Honda Accord was used as the getaway vehicle, officials said.

Around 7:50 a.m. June 9, 2022, multiple suspects robbed a Loomis armored car driver at a Bank of America located at 11525 Crenshaw Blvd. in Inglewood. A dark short-barreled assault rifle was brandished, and the suspects fled in a late-model silver or gray Chevrolet Equinox.

Around 12:20 p.m. Sept. 15, 2022, multiple people robbed a Brinks armored car driver at the PLS Check Cashers located at S. La Brea Ave. A black assault-style rifle was brandished and the robbers got away in a late-model gray Ford Explorer.

Then, earlier this year, on Jan. 9, multiple people robbed a Brinks armored car driver at a 99 Cents Only store at 3060 S. Crenshaw Blvd. A black assault-style rifle was seen during the robbery and a late-model black Kia K5 was used as the getaway vehicle.

Around 9:55 a.m. Feb. 25, multiple people robbed a Brinks armored car driver at a PLS Check Cashers at 2601 S. La Brea Ave. A rifle with a green laser was brandished and a late-model tan or light-colored SUV, possibly a Toyota RAV4 was used as a getaway vehicle.

Davis may be driving one of the vehicles registered to him, described as:

? 2008 White Chevy Tahoe 4-door SUV with a California license number of 7ABW490

? 2015 White Lexus GS 350 4-door Sedan with a California license number of 9BNL712

? 2020 Black Chevy Blazer 4-door SUV with a California license number of 8ULA955

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered by the FBI in exchange for information leading to an arrest in this case.

Additionally, Brinks has offered to match the FBI’s reward offer of up to $25,000 in exchange for information leading to the arrest and indictment of a person or persons involved in the robberies of Brinks Armored Vehicles in the L.A. region.

Elsewhere, armored truck security personnel have been attacked, shot and robbed in numerous recent incidents including these:

CHICAGO IL March 1 2023 Chicago police are investigating an attempted armored truck robbery in the city's West Chatham neighborhood.

Officials said the incident happened at a Wendy's in a strip mall at 87th and Lafayette, right off the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Chicago police said at about 3 p.m., a 38-year-old male armored truck guard left a business at the strip mall. As he approached the truck, a gold or dark gray vehicle approached. Three individuals exited the vehicle and opened fire on the guard, hitting him in his bulletproof vest, the FBI said.

The Chicago Fire Department said one of them was struck and his partner took him to Roseland Hospital with a graze wound to the belly. He is expected to make a full recovery. Police said he is listed in good condition.

Police said no money was taken from the truck or the guards.

A security guard at another business in the strip mall witnessed the shooting and said the car had been circling the parking lot for some time before opening fire on the armored truck guard.

No one is currently in custody. An investigation is ongoing.

Armored truck driver shoots at attempted robbers outside Michigan McDonald’s

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. February 26 2023 An armored truck driver shot at suspects during an attempted robbery at a Southfield McDonald’s on Friday morning.

The three men attempted to rob the driver at the restaurant near 10 Mile and Telegraph. After the driver fired shots, the suspects fled.

The driver was armed and shot several times towards the would-be robbers, they got scared – back in their car and sped off, said Deputy Chief Aaron Huguley.

“Nothing to lose, brazen, no regard for life,” said Huguley. “”The type of currency the amounts they’re carrying, unfortunately, makes them a target.”

“If they’re doing these types of things then we don’t know what else they have done and what they’re capable of.”

Southfield Police is praising a witness who saw what happened and quickly called 911. It allowed investigators to get there fast and get a good lead on the suspects.

“Were they being trailed, was this a crime of opportunity, where they saw this vehicle pull into McDonald’s and said, ‘Hey, we have a firearm, let’s go do this,'” Huguley said.

There are no signs that the two men who wearing gators over their faces were shot. Security footage is on investigators’ side – as they track the suspects who headed south towards Eight Mile.

No one was hurt, and police are still looking for the suspects.

19-year-old arrested in armored car robbery that left guard shot outside Willowbrook Mall

Harris County TX February 17, 2023 A 19-year-old was arrested after an armored car guard was shot during a robbery outside a northwest Harris County mall on Tuesday, the FBI said.

Ricardo Rodriguez was charged in connection to the shooting that happened at about 3:35 p.m. at 2000 Willowbrook Mall.

Authorities said the teen faces federal charges of interference with commerce by robbery and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

An armored car guard was hospitalized after being shot in the parking lot of Willowbrook Mall in northwest Harris County, authorities said.

According to the FBI Violent Crime Task Force with HPD, the shooting happened when Rodriguez robbed a Brinks armored car.

Police said the wounded guard was shot but had a vest on. He was reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Rodriguez was arrested about 36 hours after the shooting, officials said.

Shreveport Police investigate armored truck robbery

Shreveport LA Feb 16, 2023 Shreveport police are investigating an armored truck robbery that happened at the Circle K gas station on Bert Kouns.

Police say the driver of that truck was robbed as he was exiting the store Monday evening with an unknown amount of cash.

The suspect was wearing a dark hoodie and a black ski mask.

Police searched the area but did not locate a suspect and no arrests have been made.

Garda armored truck guard charged with staging million dollar robbery

Converse Texas February 7, 2023

The security guard of an armored truck helped orchestrate the theft of more than $1.1 million on his second to last day on the job, an arrest warrant shows.

Brian Martinez Rodriguez, 23, was charged last month with first-degree theft in connection with the brazen Dec. 29 heist that started in a Converse AutoZone parking lot and ended in a nearby neighborhood.

While working as a guard, Martinez Rodriguez was driving a Garda armored truck when it stopped at the store at 8550 FM 78 to pick up money sometime after 8:30 a.m.

Martinez Rodriguez told investigators a man outside pulled a gun on him after his partner went inside the store, shoved him and assaulted him with the gun for about 20 seconds.

Martinez Rodriguez was then forced to drive to a neighborhood less than a mile away at Walnut Basin and Twincreek Farm, where “three Black males” who were armed and wearing masks filled two bins with bags containing money and then took off, he told investigators.

Surveillance footage, however, contradicted Martinez Rodriguez’s statements about the robbery, his arrest warrant states.

Footage provided to investigators by the auto parts store shows Martinez Rodriguez signaling to the man to enter the vehicle outside the store. The armored truck is then driven away within seven seconds of the man getting in, contradicting Martinez Rodriguez’s claim that he was assaulted for 20 seconds before driving away.

Additionally, security camera footage near the second scene on Walnut Basin showed one person in a hooded sweatshirt, not three men wearing masks, get out of a blue Hyundai Elantra and make two trips between the car and the armored truck, the warrant states.

Martinez Rodriguez also gave his employer, Garda, a different version of what happened than he gave investigators, the warrant states.

He had previously been scheduled to be terminated by the company on Dec. 30, a day after the heist, after he failed to obtain a license to carry a firearm.

Martinez Rodriguez was informed of the company’s decision to terminate him on Dec. 1 and was given 30 days’ notice.

A search of Martinez Rodriguez’s cell phone revealed on Dec. 1, he took photos of the inside of an armored truck, its manifest and an email from Garda alerting employees to be vigilant about recent armored truck robberies, the warrant states.

Converse police Lt. Jeff Shook said Martinez Rodriguez’s version of events fell apart within days of the staged robbery, leading investigators to believe he was involved.

“We learned a childhood friend of Brian’s was actually involved as well,” said Shook during an interview Wednesday afternoon.

That friend, Maurice Mercado, has also been charged in connection with the theft after investigators said he was the man who entered the armored truck at gunpoint in an effort to convince law enforcement that a legitimate robbery had occurred.

Mercado was taken into custody on Jan. 23 on the same first-degree felony theft charge, said Shook.

Investigators said after the robbery, Martinez Rodriguez’s personal vehicle was seen at a San Antonio apartment complex parked next to a Hyundai Elantra matching the description of the car seen at the second scene.

Mercado, on Jan. 15, was observed parking next to the Elantra and removing what appeared to be a stack of money from it, the warrant states.

A third suspect named in the warrant had not been charged as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Alamo Area Metro SWAT team on Jan. 26 executed a search warrant at a South Side home in connection with the Converse armored truck robbery.

The home in the 1400 block of Beverly Ann Street is identified as Mercado’s residence. Investigators found evidence inside the home related to its investigation, a Converse police spokesman said via email Wednesday.

Martinez Rodriguez remains at the Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Booking information on Mercado was not available Wednesday afternoon.

“I am very confident we will make a third and final arrest regarding this incident,” said Shook.

Shook said if investigators recover any items purchased with the proceeds of the theft, they will be subjected to asset seizure.

He added that the case does not appear to be connected in any way to other armored truck robberies along FM 78 last year.