Lilbear George, Loomis Armored Robbery, Louisiana 2013

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Two men, Lilbear George, 31, and Chukwudi Ofomata, 35, both of New Orleans, were sentenced to 480-month terms of imprisonment for their roles in the 2013 murder of Loomis Armored guard Hector Trochez.

On December 18, 2013, George and Ofomata robbed the Loomis armored vehicle as it made a delivery of approximately $265,000 to the Chase Bank branch located at the intersection of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues. The two men, both armed, exited their vehicle and ordered Trochez to give up the money. Trochez pulled his weapon and fired at the robbers, but George and Ofomata fired their weapons in Trochez’s direction. Trochez was fatally struck on the left side of his forehead and suffered a graze wound to his elbow.

A witness, who was seated in a vehicle at the corner of S. Claiborne and S. Carrollton Avenues, observed the shooting and provided a description of the shooters and the vehicle they occupied. The witness followed the Chevy Tahoe as it fled the location of the shooting/robbery, but one of the shooters fired at the witness’s vehicle in an attempt to stop them from following.

The Chevy Tahoe was recovered by the New Orleans Police Department and searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. During the search, FBI agents observed that the steering wheel column of the vehicle had been breached. Agents located two screwdrivers on the floorboard of the Tahoe, which were collected and submitted for DNA testing. An unknown DNA profile, later confirmed to be that of George, was recovered from one of the screwdrivers.

George and Ofomata will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years after their terms of imprisonment. They each must pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee and restitution in the amount of $265,000 to Loomis Armored. The Court also ordered that George and Ofomata pay restitution in the amount of $265,000 to Loomis Armored.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany L. Reed, Gregory M. Kennedy, and Inga C. Petrovich are prosecuting the matter.

Co-defendants Jeremy Esteves and Robert Brumfield III were found guilty by a jury at trial in November 2019. Co-defendant Jasmine Theophile, George’s girlfriend, previously pled guilty to obstructing justice and will be sentenced on October 13, 2021.

Related Federal Cases