A man was sentenced to 27 years in prison for a violent armed robbery spree across Los Angeles County.
Justin Washington, 34, from Gardena, was convicted for targeting nearly a dozen businesses at gunpoint during a five-day crime spree in 2020, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At the time, Washington had been released on parole after a 10-year sentence for armed robbery and possession of a deadly weapon.
In September 2020, less than two months after his release, Washington murdered a rival gang member, authorities said.
Then from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, 2020, Washington targeted 10 businesses in the South Bay and South L.A. area in an armed robbery spree.
Victimized businesses included a grocery store, a 7-Eleven, multiple donut shops, a veterinarian’s office, a mobile phone store, a dry cleaner business, and a Baskin-Robbins.
During the robbery of a Torrance donut shop on Dec. 2, 2020, Washington reportedly pointed a gun at a store employee before striking them in the head, authorities said. He then forced the victim into a back office before tying up their hands.
The next day, while robbing a donut shop in South L.A., Washington pistol-whipped an employee, causing serious injury before attempting to fire his gun, officials said.
In total, the suspect stole $9,019 worth of cash and personal property during the crime spree.
He remained in custody from December 2020 through July 2023. He was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison.
“Twenty years of Washington’s 27-year federal prison sentence will run consecutive to his state prison sentence for murder,” court documents said.
“Mr. Washington’s short-lived criminal rampage terrorized small businesses and undoubtedly left his victims with lasting trauma,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Federal law enforcement in league with our local partners will hold accountable violent predators who target hardworking business owners and employees, as well as the communities they serve.”
The case was investigated by federal and local agencies including The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Torrance Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.