A Long Beach man was sentenced Monday to 13 months in federal prison for participating in a multi-million dollar smash-and-grab robbery in Beverly Hills.
Deshon Bell, 21, and his co-defendants carried out “one of the most bold and unabashed smash and grab robberies” federal prosecutors said they’d ever seen.
The crime “traumatized many victims and also inspired many more crimes as the widespread news coverage seemed not to deter, but embolden and encourage smash and grab robbers,” federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
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Bell was initially facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after being charged in October 2022 with conspiracy and interference with commerce by robbery, but after prosecutors said they learned he likely wasn’t involved in planning the robbery, Bell was allowed to plead to the lesser charge of one count of interference with commerce by robbery.
Federal prosecutors said Bell, along with several co-conspirators, drove three vehicles from Long Beach to Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills where they wielded axes, sledgehammers and crowbars to smash open cases and grab merchandise before fleeing through an alley.
Roughly 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings, and 20 watches valued at around $2.5 million were taken during the robbery, according to prosecutors.
Following the crime, the group’s ringleader posted a picture showing stacks of money on Instagram with the hashtag “robberycrew” attached to it, prosecutors said.
None of the jewelry was ever found, they added.
Law enforcement said they used security footage and a cell phone dropped at the scene to identify multiple suspects. Bell was among those taken into custody, with authorities initially alleging he served as the getaway driver.
But Bell later admitted to law enforcement agents that though he had taken part in the robbery, he never fulfilled “his ultimate role” of serving as the getaway driver, prosecutors said.
This, along with his young age, was something federal prosecutors referenced in a memo where they recommended a judge give Bell a lesser sentence for his role in the robbery.
They added that Bell was likely persuaded by his older co-conspirators, who planned everything, to take part in the crime. He also never received anything for participating, federal prosecutors said.