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Loomis armored truck robbers head to prison www.privateofficer.com
A total of nine conspirators were convicted for their role in the armored car robbery; Jackson received the highest sentence.
Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
The remaining defendants, all Dallas residents, were sentenced as follows:
Christopher Peterson, 24, 168 months
Fred Taylor, 22, 96 months (consecutive to a three-year sentence he received earlier this year for another federal offense)
Jeremy Wright, 28, 72 months
Frederick Peterson, 25, 48 months
Troy Wilson, 23, 78 months
Ronald Mcguire, 23, 72 months
Billy Jackson, 23, 48 months
Nicholas Pyburn, 27, 48 months
According to documents filed in the case, these defendants admitted that they, and their accomplices, took $421,000 from a Loomis armored truck at the Bank of America, located at 1400 North Town East Boulevard in Mesquite. While Fred Taylor initiated the idea of the armored truck robbery, these four defendants, along with several co-defendants/accomplices, planned the robbery. According to the defendants, a Bank of America employee advised Taylor what time the armored truck would be at the bank and how much money it would be carrying.
On the day of the robbery, the defendants met at a McDonalds to finalize the details of the robbery. Five different vehicles were used to transport the defendants to the bank. Surveillance was set up at several points to ensure there were no police in the area. When the Loomis truck arrived, the guard entered the bank and left with $421,000. Two defendants jumped out of a car, approached the guard, pointed a gun at his head, and took the money he was carrying. A co-defendant/ accomplice arrived and two of the robbers left with him. Several of the robbers left the scene and later met to divide the money. Two were caught at the scene. Many of the defendants were quickly apprehended. However, months later DNA results led to three additional arrests: Christopher Peterson, Frederick Peterson and Ennis Jackson, who initially fled. The day after the bank robbery they purchased three luxury vehicles and jewelry. One vehicle was a 7 series BMW, with $20,000 in custom upgrades, including alligator embroidered stitching throughout the car.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Mesquite Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon McCarthy and John Kull prosecuted.
TEXAS ARMORED CAR ROBBERS SENTENCED www.privateofficer.com
Four of the eleven conspirators, who are Dallas residents, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated bank robbery with a deadly weapon. Christopher Peterson, 24, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison; Fred Taylor, 22, was sentenced to 96 months (consecutive to a 3 year sentence he received earlier this year for another federal offense); Jeremy Wright, 28, was sentenced to 72 months; and Frederick Peterson, 25, was sentenced to 48 months.
According to documents filed in the case, these defendants admitted that they, and their accomplices, took $421,000 from a Loomis armored truck at the Bank of America, located at 1400 North Town East Boulevard in Mesquite. While Fred Taylor initiated the idea of the armored truck robbery, these four defendants, along with several co-defendant/accomplices, planned the robbery. According to the defendants, a Bank of America employee advised Taylor what time the armored truck would be at the bank and how much money it would be carrying.
On the day of the robbery, the defendants met at a McDonalds to finalize the details of the robbery. Five different vehicles were used to transport the defendants to the bank. Surveillance was set up at several points to ensure there were no police in the area. When the Loomis truck arrived, the guard entered the bank and left with $421,000. Two defendants jumped out of a car, approached the guard, pointed a gun at his head, and took the money he was carrying. A co-defendant/ accomplice arrived and two of the robbers left with him. All of the robbers left the scene and some later met to divide the money. Many of the defendants were quickly apprehended. Months later DNA results led to three additional arrests. Christopher Peterson, Frederick Peterson, and Ennis Jackson initially got away. The day after the bank robbery they purchased three luxury vehicles and jewelry. One vehicle was a 7 series BMW, with $20,000 in custom upgrades, including alligator embroidered stitching throughout the car.
Earlier this month, Ronald McQuire, the getaway driver was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his role in the robbery and Nicholas Pyburn, who conducted surveillance, was sentenced to 48 months. Other sentencings in the case are set for next month.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Mesquite Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon McCarthy and John Kull are prosecuting.
Riverside man no longer faces death penalty in security officer murder www.privateofficer.com
Riverside CA Sept 17 2011 Prosecutors are no longer seeking the death penalty against a Perris man convicted of slaying a retired Riverside police sergeant who was working as a security guard when he was gunned down in 1985.
Leslie Gene Parker, 52, will be sentenced Oct. 21, according to court records from a Thursday hearing. He faces life in prison without parole.
Parker was convicted in 2010 of slaying Fred Taylor, 54, during an armed robbery and gunfight at the Tyler Mall — now called the Galleria at Tyler.
But the same jury that convicted Parker could not reach a unanimous verdict for the death sentence, splitting 8-4 in favor of capital punishment.
A decision to try Parker again on the death penalty was reviewed after Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach took office in January. Zellerbach decided not to put the matter to jurors again, said deputy district attorney Laura Ozols.
Taylor’s son, Christopher Taylor, said Thursday he agreed with the decision, in part because of the long appeal process for death penalty cases in California.
“California doesn’t have a death penalty, in my opinion,” Taylor, 49, of Riverside, said in a telephone interview. “So I think this is the best thing, and we want to get it behind us.”
He also said that at least one, and possibly two, accomplices have not been brought to justice. The robbery netted $265,000.
“There are still other suspects out there and we can still do this again. I hope we do,” the son said of bringing the others to trial. “We are behind the DA on this.”
Fred Taylor died Dec. 16, 1985. He had been escorting two bank employees who were picking up night deposits when they were confronted by at least two men. Taylor had been hired as a security guard during a Brinks armored truck guard strike.
Parker was believed to have fired the fatal round in the 14-shot gun battle.
Deputy Public Defender Brian Cosgrove called the crime a botched robbery that did not begin with intent to kill.
“It was our position that Mr. Parker was not the actual shooter, that it was someone else who pulled the trigger. The jury disagreed with us,” Cosgrove said by phone Thursday.
The other man, who detectives said was armed with a knife, has never been found.
Taylor’s gunfire wounded one of his attackers. The getaway car, with blood on the passenger seat, was later found at the former location of Riverside General Hospital, a short distance down Magnolia Avenue from the mall.
The case was cold for years. But in 2007 a DNA sample from the getaway car seat was matched to Parker, a felon.
Parker wasn’t a suspect in 1985. If he hadn’t been convicted of possessing stolen property in 2003, he might never have been arrested. Because of that conviction, he was required to submit DNA samples to the state database.
