Houston Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Lake Charles Jewelry Store Robbery

Trevione James Terry of Houston was sentenced to 20 years for his role in the armed robbery of Nederland Jewelers in Lake Charles.Photo byRobin EdqvistonUnsplash

Trevione James Terry, 26, of Houston, was sentenced to 241 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in the 2020-armed robbery of Nederland Jewelers in Lake Charles, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced Friday.

According to the department, Terry admitted to his involvement in both the Lake Charles robbery on June 8, 2020, and a similar robbery of Korman Fine Jewelry in Austin, Texas, on May 7, 2020.

He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2024, to charges of interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, the department stated.

Evidence presented in court revealed that on May 7, 2020, Terry and five co-conspirators carried out an armed robbery at Korman Fine Jewelry. Terry waited in a white Porsche near the store while the others stormed in wearing masks.

One of the robbers brandished a loaded firearm, ordering employees and customers to the ground. The security guard was shot, and another customer was struck in the head.

Two of the robbers smashed a Rolex display case and stole several watches before fleeing the scene. Investigators later linked Terry to the robbery through phone records and cellular data.

A month later, on June 8, 2020, Terry and six accomplices traveled from Houston to Lake Charles intending to rob Nederland Jewelers.

Co-defendant Phaezon Stewart entered the store with a handgun, ordering employees to the ground. Terry and the others, armed with hammers and wearing masks, broke display cases and stole more than 34 Rolex watches valued at over $350,000.

After the robbery, Terry and his associates fled in a white Porsche to the L’Auberge Casino, where they transferred the stolen goods into a Chevrolet Impala driven by Carey Nimmons.

Law enforcement tracked the suspects to a residence on Pryce Street in Lake Charles, where officers found Terry and co-defendant Joshua Evans hiding in a shed with 32 of the 34 stolen watches. Nimmons and another accomplice, Johnson Moore, were arrested nearby.

All defendants involved in the case have been apprehended and convicted, yhr department says.