Man admits to being getaway driver in $2.7M smash-and-grab in Beverly Hills

A Long Beach man has admitted to his role in a smash-and-grab robbery that netted nearly $2.7 million worth of merchandise from a Beverly Hills jewelry store in 2022.

Ladell Tharpe, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

Prosecutors say Tharpe was a getaway driver and lookout for the thieves who struck Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills on March 23, 2022.

He joins Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 32, and 22-year-old Deshon Bell of Long Beach in admitting to the robbery. Bell was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, while Vernon is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

In broad daylight, they used tools like sledgehammers and axes to smash their way into the store, grab expensive merchandise and quickly flee.

In disclosing Vernon’s guilty plea, the DOJ also announced that the robbers got away with 20 watches, 19 bracelets, eight rings, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces and a pair of decorative obelisks, with a total worth of about $2.67 million.

In addition to his year in prison, Bell was ordered to pay that amount in restitution.

Tharpe faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he’s sentenced in January.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.