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Description: San Diego, California criminal lawyer represented Defendant charged with armed robbery.

Laubbacher admitted to robbing a CVS pharmacy, a Bath & Body Works and numerous grocery stores between January 22, 2021, and February 5, 2021. All the robberies were committed in a similar manner: He entered the store, selected items for purchase, approached the register and demanded money from the cashier. In certain robberies, Laubbacher displayed a black handgun in his waistband. Over the course of his six successful and one attempted robberies, Laubbacher obtained approximately $2,327.32.

“This defendant inflicted maximum terror on cashiers, who will suffer a lifetime of anguish over the memory of this experience,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Now he will be held accountable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case.

“This defendant had little qualms of brandishing a gun to intimidate and cause fear in his victims during six different robberies to get what he wanted,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “With today’s guilty plea, Laubbacher will no longer be a threat to anyone else in our community. The FBI is proud to have coordinated this investigation with our law enforcement partners, including the San Diego, Carlsbad and Irvine Police Departments and the San Diego Sheriff's Department, as well as FBI Los Angeles Orange County Resident Agency, to stop this defendant from committing any more violent crimes and hold him accountable for his actions.”

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.

Laubbacher is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant.

DEFENDANT Case Number 21-cr-2010-BAS

Benjamin Robert Laubbacher Age: 50

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Hobbs Act Robbery and Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1951

Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine

Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (2 counts) – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 fine

Minimum Penalty: Five years in prison per count, consecutive to all other sentences

AGENCIES

Federal Bureau of Investigation

San Diego Police Department

San Diego Sheriff’s Department

Carlsbad Police Department

Irvine Police Department

18:1951;18:924(d),981(a)(1)(C),28:2461(c) - Interference with Commerce by Robbery;Criminal Forfeiture
(1-6)
18:1951;18:924(d),981(a)(1)(C),28:2461(c) - Attempted Interference with Commerce by Robbery;Criminal Forfeiture
(7)
18:924(c);18:924(d),981(a)(1)(C), 28:2461(c) - Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence;Criminal Forfeiture
(8-10)

Outcome: 08/25/2022 34 NOTICE OF HEARING as to Defendant Benjamin Robert Laubbacher. At the request of the parties, the Change of Plea Hearing is set for 8/26/2022 at 1:30 PM before Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler. (no document attached) (yem) (Entered: 08/25/2022)

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Defendant's Experts:

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