LOS ANGELES – A Compton man was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months behind bars for his role in a series of armed robberies of mostly 7-Eleven stores in South Los Angeles during a crime spree two years ago.
Charles Christopher, 25, pleaded guilty in March in downtown Los Angeles to federal charges of interference with commerce by robbery, known as a Hobbs Act crime, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to the 2024 indictment, four defendants committed a series of armed robberies, mostly of 7-Eleven stores in South Los Angeles and a CVS in Hollywood. The defendants traveled to the targeted stores in a BMW, jumped over the counters, took money from the cash registers and placed it into a black Nike bag, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
One of the defendants — either Christopher or Jordan Leonard, 26, of Torrance — pointed a firearm at a store employee or customer and demanded either their phone or their wallet, the indictment says.
On Nov. 28, 2023, following the robbery of a 7-Eleven in South Los Angeles, Leonard posted a photograph on Instagram with stacks of cash, captioned “love my bros we go hit every time,” prosecutors said. He also allegedly tagged the Instagram accounts of Christopher and co-defendant D’Angelo Spencer, 27, of South Los Angeles.
In total, court papers show, the defendants netted about $7,617 in cash during the crime spree.
Spencer pleaded guilty in February to the same two charges as Christopher and is awaiting sentencing.
Leonard and Tazjar Rouse, 23, of Hollywood pleaded guilty in January to Hobbs Act and firearm offenses and are also awaiting sentencing.
The defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for the Hobbs Act count and between seven years and life imprisonment on the gun charge, prosecutors noted.
