The hammer fell on four Broward County men convicted of pulling off a string of heists, including a brazen daytime robbery of a jewelry store in St. Lucie West. One man will serve three consecutive life sentences while another will serve two life sentences. Another will serve 40 years while the last got 34 years.
The St. Lucie West robbery was the last the men committed, on April 16, 2017. Three of the suspects dressed as women, wearing heavy makeup and wigs, and held the store’s owner and an employee at gunpoint.
The store’s owner did not return a call from St. Lucie Voice seeking reaction to the sentences.
The get-away driver, identified as Christopher Brinson, 33, fled in a white Jeep, while the other three fled on foot. Brinson was located at a nearby restaurant and arrested.
One suspect, identified as Jerome Simmons, 31, was found hiding in the bushes of a nearby hospital parking lot wearing only his underwear and one sock.
A third man, Adrian Hardy, 34, fled into a nearby retirement community and kidnapped four residents at gunpoint, forcing them to drive him to an undisclosed location in Fort Lauderdale.
The circumstances of the last suspect’s arrest were not released. He was identified as Emmory Moore, 34, of Coral Springs.
All four men were convicted on numerous charges earlier this year in U.S. District Court. Last week, Judge Kenneth Marra issued the following sentences:
Jerome Simmons: Sentenced to three consecutive life sentences, convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Adrian Hardy: Sentenced to 40 years, convicted of one count of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, and four counts of kidnapping.
Christopher Brinson: Sentenced to 34 years, convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
Emmory Moore: Sentenced to two consecutive life sentences, convicted of one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The program was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
According to evidence entered during the trial, the robbers’ crime spree started March 3, 2017, at Class Jewelers in Deerfield Beach, Fla. In that robbery, Brinson engaged an employee in conversation while Moore and Simmons entered the store dressed as women and held two employees at gunpoint. They then stole jewelry and other items from the store.
Three days later, Simmons, Hardy, Brinson and Moore traveled to Spring Hill, Fla., where they robbed at gunpoint Lily’s Jewelry. During that robbery, a cellphone tied to Moore was left behind.
A few weeks later, the men traveled to Valdosta, Ga., where they stayed at a local inn for a night. The following day, April 1, they again dressed as women and robbed Bishop’s Jewelers. A traffic stop five days later in Fort Lauderdale recovered a firearm stolen from Bishop’s Jewelers from the trunk of a car driven by Moore.
Ten days later, the men entered LSO Jewelers in St. Lucie West and were soon caught.
