A Downey man faces arraignment in federal court next month for his alleged role in four armed robberies of GameStop stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties that resulted in the theft of $135,000 in merchandise, cash and employees’ cellphones.
Frederick Lopez Jr., 27, was arrested at his home Thursday and faces four federal counts of interference with commerce by robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors allege Lopez took part in armed robberies of GameStop stores in Lynwood, Rowland Heights, West Covina and Brea between Aug. 28 and Oct. 26.
The defendant allegedly entered the video game stores at night, sometimes accompanied by another unidentified suspect, and made small talk with the GameStop clerks before brandishing a gun and demanding merchandise and money from the cash register.
Lopez and his accomplice also stole victims’ cell phones and, on two occasions, ordered the employees to help load the stolen merchandise into a silver minivan registered to Lopez, documents filed in Los Angeles federal court allege.
Lopez’s fingerprint was found on a Nintendo entertainment system recovered from the scene of the Brea robbery, and witnesses and victims later identified him as one of the suspects, the criminal complaint alleges.
Each of the robbery counts in the complaint carries a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.