LA Man Found Guilty in BevMo Robbery Spree That Targeted Pasadena Store in Conspiracy

A Los Angeles man who conspired to rob a Pasadena BevMo store and pulled off successful heists at other Southern California locations faces federal sentencing Thursday on a Hobbs Act charge of interference with commerce by robbery.

Anthony Flores, 28, was convicted in July following a three-day trial in downtown Los Angeles. Beginning in May 2023, Flores and co-defendant Ivin Kitu Sanford, 32, robbed BevMo locations in Long Beach and Lakewood, stealing high-end liquor stored behind security glass and threatening employees with violence. The duo then sold the stolen merchandise on Instagram, evidence showed.

At the Long Beach location, Flores stole approximately $2,604 worth of liquor, while escaping with around $800 worth from the Lakewood store. Federal prosecutors proved Flores also conspired to target additional stores in Pasadena and West Covina.

The crime spree ended in June when Flores and Sanford attempted to rob a Canyon Country BevMo, where they physically subdued an employee. Following a police pursuit in a stolen Dodge Charger with a stolen license plate, the pair crashed into a tree and fled across six lanes of rush-hour traffic on the 14 Freeway. Officers later found them hiding among bushes in a remote area.

Sanford, who was also convicted, faces sentencing Jan. 30 in Los Angeles federal court. A third suspect, Jacob Hardgraves, 27, of Los Angeles, has charges pending with no trial date currently set.

Flores’s sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 5B at the U.S. Courthouse, 350 W. First St., Los Angeles.