Lance Lamont Lavert, Armed Robbery, California 2018

Carlsbad, California - August 14, 2019 - A federal jury has found Lance Lamont Lavert, 37, a Utah resident, guilty of robbing the Motel 6 in Carlsbad, California, using and brandishing a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum revolver during the robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Lavert's crime took place on July 9, 2018, when he entered the Motel 6 on Paseo Del Norte in Carlsbad, California. He approached the counter and asked for a room, but when his request was denied due to a lack of identification, Lavert pulled a gun out of his backpack, pointed it at the clerk and her manager, and then demanded money.

The clerk and manager ran from Lavert but Lavert jumped the counter, kicked in the door of the bathroom where the clerk was hiding, and then brought the clerk (at gun point) back to cash register. Lavert demanded money and pistol-whipped her in the head. After the clerk opened a drawer that held the motel's cash, Lavert grabbed money from the drawer and ordered the clerk to give him keys to her personal vehicle. Lavert then jumped back over the counter and he and his girlfriend departed.

Two days later, Lavert was arrested trying to enter the United States from Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. He had the Smith and Wesson .357 magnum revolver concealed in his waistband.

The prosecution introduced certified court documents to prove Lavert had several prior felony convictions, including for arson. Lavert's co-defendant and girlfriend (at the time of the offense) accepted a resolution before trial.

Lavert faces a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence, and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Using and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section, led by U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/federal-jury-convicts-prior-felon-violent-armed-robbery-carlsbad-motel-6