Roy William Reed, Armed Robbery, Florida 2017

Armed robbers target Miami Beach tourists, face prison time.

MIAMI BEACH, FL – In a coordinated effort to bring justice to the streets of Miami Beach, law enforcement agencies have successfully convicted and sentenced five individuals for their roles in armed robberies targeting tourists.

The first incident occurred in February 2017, when Roy William Reed, 24, of Memphis, Tennessee, held up two tourists at gunpoint on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Ashley Brooks, 25, also from Memphis, acted as a lookout during the robbery.

During the course of the robbery, Reed took the victims’ wallets, cash, and cellular telephones. Brooks attempted to use one of the victims’ credit cards at a gas station shortly after the robbery.

On March 13, 2018, Reed pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Brooks pled guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on the same day.

On May 15, 2018, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Reed to 124 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution. Brooks was sentenced to 84 months in prison and also ordered to pay restitution.

The second incident occurred in October 2017, when Rahshard Jovan Stepherson, 45, Vidyapati El, and Kemon Dominique Thompson, held two foreign tourists at gunpoint in a stairwell on Miami Beach.

Stepherson shoved a firearm into the victims’ necks and stomachs and forced them to comply with his demands. The three defendants took the tourists’ wallets, watches, and cell phones before fleeing the crime scene.

On April 10, 2018, a federal jury convicted Stepherson of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Stepherson was sentenced to 360 months in prison and ordered to pay $6,600 in restitution to the victims.

Thompson and El pled guilty to brandishing a firearm in connection with this robbery on March 20, 2018. On May 15, 2018, Judge Middlebrooks sentenced El to 86 months in prison and ordered him to pay $8,620 in restitution to the victims.

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