Ex-Employee Sentenced for Atlanta-Area Armored Truck Robberies

Patch Staff Report

Veronica Bullard has been sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison for her role in the commission of a series of armored truck robberies in the Atlanta area between October 2010 and March 2011.

According to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Bullard, was an employee of Dunbar Armored in 2010 and provided information to co-defendants Quentin Booker and Stacey Dooley about the location and amount of cash handled during Dunbar Armored cash pick-ups. 

This information was used them to plan and to execute multiple robberies of Dunbar Armored couriers. During the robberies, one or two gunmen would approach a courier after the courier made a cash pick-up from a location, or as the courier was about to restock an ATM machine with cash. Other members of the robbery crew would act as lookouts during the robberies, with one acting as the designated getaway driver.

The information Bullard provided to the robbers was also used to target couriers from other armored car companies. As the number of robberies escalated, so did the level of violence. In fact, during the robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on January 21, 2011, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Stone Mountain, co-defendant Ashley Henderson shot and seriously injured the courier. 

During the robbery of a Garda Cash Logistics courier outside the Kroger Grocery Store located on LaVista Road in DeKalb County, Henderson fatally shot the courier, Gary Castillo, after Castillo made a cash pick-up of $11,000 from the store. Altogether, members of this robbing crew were responsible for six robberies involving thefts of over $470,000.

The evidence established that Bullard and her co-conspirators were specifically involved in the commission of the following robbery:

· The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier just after he made a cash pick-up on October 7, 2010, at the Mex America Latino Services located in Marietta.

The evidence further established that Bullard’s co-conspirators were involved in the commission of the following additional robberies:

· The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 11, 2010, at a Bank of America located in Buford;

· The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on November 29, 2010, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Snellville;

· The robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier who was heading to an ATM machine to restock it with cash inside the Mall of Georgia on December 7, 2010;

· The robbery of a Loomis Armored courier who was restocking cash in an ATM machine on January 21, 2011, at a Wells Fargo Bank located in Stone Mountain; and

· The robbery of a Garda Cash Logistics courier on March 15, 2011, outside the Kroger Grocery Store located on LaVista Road in DeKalb County.

Bullard was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $104,694 in restitution. Bullard pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery (armed robbery of a Dunbar courier).  

In addition to Bullard, the following defendants have also entered guilty pleas as a result of their role in the robberies:

· Ashley Henderson, 30 of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery (armed robbery of the couriers) and three counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

· Stacey Dooley, 37, originally from Charlotte, N.C., pleaded guilty to six counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

· Quentin Booker, 36, of Douglasville, pleaded guilty to five counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 32 years in prison.

· Edwin Thornton, 31, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison.

· Michael Johnson, 31, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

· Ronnie Little, 22, of Stone Mountain, pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to 12 years and nine months in prison.

· Desiree Jones, 29, of Snellville, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawfully transferring a firearm knowing it would be used in a crime of violence and received a sentence of five years in federal prison. 

· Derrick Powell, 26, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of carrying and using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2014.