LOS ANGELES—A convicted murderer dubbed “a walking crime spree” by prosecutors was sentenced Jan. 8 to 27 years in federal prison for robbing and attempting to rob nearly a dozen Los Angeles County businesses—including a veterinarian’s office—at gunpoint over five days while on parole from state prison for armed robbery.
Justin Washington, 34, of Gardena, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $10,119 in restitution and fines, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
eaded guilty i n October to 10 counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
In mid-September 2020, Washington was released from state prison from a 10-year term for armed robbery and possession of a deadly weapon. Less than two months after his release, federa l prosecutors said Washington murdered a rival gang member. Then, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, 2020, Washington robbed and attempted to rob 10 businesses in the South Bay and in South Los Angeles, according to prosecutors.
According to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court, his robbery spree began at the same Gardena grocery store, which he robbed on consecutive days on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2020. From there, in Gardena, Washington robbed a 7- Eleven store, a donut shop and attempted to rob a veterinarian’s office, prosecutors said. He then robbed a donut shop in Torrance, and, in South Los Angeles, a wireless phone store, a dry cleaner business, two additional donut shops and, finally, a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store, according to court documents.
During his armed robbery of a Torrance donut shop on Dec. 2, 2020, Washington pointed a gun at and then struck a store employee in the head, causing bodily injury, prosecutors said. Washington then forced the victim to move to the shop’s back office to facilitate Washington’s search for money, then bound the victim’s hands, according to prosecutors.
While robbing a donut shop at gunpoint in South Los Angeles one day later, Washington was accused of pistol whippi ng an employee, causing serious bodily injury to the victim, then attempted to fire his gun.
In total, Washington stole $9,019 in cash and personal property during his five-day crime spree, prosecutors said.
From December 2020 until last July, Washington was in state custody. He ultimately was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison. He has been in federal custody for about six months. Twenty years of Washington’s 27-year federal prison sentence will run consecutive to his state prison sentence for murder.
“This defendant was a walking crime spree and fully deserving of a major federal prison sentence,” Los Angeles U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
“Removing violent criminals such as this defendant from our streets is some of the most important work my office handles and we will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who endanger our community.”
