RIVERSIDE, CA – Samuel Sven Smith, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, will spend the next 312 months in federal prison for a brazen crime spree that terrorized businesses across Southern California and his home state. Smith was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal after pleading guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and two counts of brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The rampage, which spanned from July 31, 2022, to August 20, 2022, saw Smith target nine stores, including Big Lots in Riverside and multiple PetSmart locations in Signal Hill, Orange, San Bernardino, Fontana, Pico Rivera, Redlands, Phoenix, and Rancho Cucamonga. In each robbery, Smith brandished a firearm, intimidating store employees and making off with stolen cash. He was also ordered to pay $8,873 in restitution.
The final robbery, at a Rancho Cucamonga PetSmart on August 20th, proved to be Smith’s undoing. After stealing $400 from an employee, Smith was confronted by law enforcement, including federal agents. Instead of surrendering, he opened fire on the officers, triggering a high-speed pursuit. The chase escalated as Smith continued to discharge his firearm at pursuing vehicles.
The pursuit ended violently when law enforcement officers intentionally rammed Smith’s vehicle. According to court documents, officers discovered Smith had suffered a gunshot wound to the chin. In a chilling admission, Smith claimed the injury was self-inflicted, stating he accidentally fired the weapon when his car was struck. Despite the self-inflicted wound, investigators believe Smith’s actions demonstrated a clear disregard for the safety of officers and the public.
“Smith showed complete disregard for the safety of others when he went on his crime spree, threatening store employees with firearms and then opening fire on federal agents,” declared U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “We cannot accept such blatant violence on our streets and my office is committed to doing all it can to protect the people of our district.” The investigation was led by the ATF Orange County Violent Crime Task Force, a coalition comprised of ATF agents and local police departments from Brea, Fullerton, Santa Ana, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Christopher Bombardiere, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division, stated, “This is the type of vicious career criminal that ATF’s task force in Orange County targets daily. We work with our law enforcement partners to put these offenders in prison to stop their terrorizing of our communities.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted the case, securing a lengthy sentence that sends a message: armed robbery and violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated.
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