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A California couple blamed for a string of armed robberies, took a quick trip to Las Vegas to tie the knot before cops caught them on Valentine’s Day 2024. Antonio Lamar Bland, 36, and Abigail Luckey, 49, along with suspected partner Ronnie Tucker, 23, now face federal charges connected to a two-week crime wave that hit several businesses in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
California Couple Took a Break from Armed Robberies to Get Married in Las Vegas
Federal prosecutors claim the three individuals committed 12 robberies from January 29 to February 14, 2024. Their alleged crimes targeted convenience stores, including nine 7-Eleven shops, along with a smoke shop and two doughnut shops. Officials say Bland and Tucker went into the businesses wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts showing guns, and demanding money from clerks. Sometimes they also took personal items from customers. Luckey drove the getaway car.
Even though Bland and Luckey were busy committing these crimes, they took a break on February 6 to go to Las Vegas. There, they got married before getting back to their activities just two days after. Their last attempt at robbery on February 14 at a doughnut shop in Downey did not work out. An employee got a gun and fired a shot, which made Bland and Tucker run away. The police, who had been watching the group stopped their car and arrested all three of them.
After they were caught, a federal grand jury charged the three people with several offenses under the Hobbs Act, which deals with robberies that get in the way of trade between states. Each person is accused of planning and carrying out armed robberies multiple times. Bland and Tucker face extra charges for showing guns during violent crimes, while Bland has even more charges for having guns because of his past serious crimes.
Trio Faces Lengthy Sentences as Armed Robbery Case Heads to Trial
The possible punishments for these charges are harsh. Each Hobbs Act violation has a maximum sentence of 20 years, while the gun-related crimes could add required minimum sentences of seven years per count for Bland and Tucker. Also, Bland’s status as a felon who has a gun and ammunition could lead to more jail time if he is found guilty.
The three have stayed in federal custody since their arrest, with a trial set for May 6, 2025. Prosecutors have stressed the risks of armed robberies pointing out that these crimes do not just cause money losses but also create fear and trauma in victims.This case sheds light on the dangers of violent crime and shows how hard law enforcement works to find and catch suspects. If the court finds Bland, Luckey, and Tucker guilty, they might spend a long time in prison putting an end to their short but infamous crime spree.
