One of three men involved in a takeover robbery at a Riverside pharmacy was bound for state prison Friday to serve a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to a robbery count.
Shawn Andre Bias, 29, of Los Angeles admitted the felony charge in a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday. In exchange for Bias’ admission, prosecutors dropped 17 related counts against him.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Superior Court Gail O’Rane certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense .
Bias was the last of the three defendants charged in the case to reach a plea bargain. His co-defendants — Kyle Jahlil Johnson, 23, and Michael Scott McCain, 22, both of Los Angeles — entered into agreements with prosecutors last month.
Johnson admitted one count each of robbery and false imprisonment and was sentenced to three years in prison. McCain also pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment, and additionally admitted a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation, after which prosecutors dropped more than a dozen counts against him and Johnson.
McCain was sentenced to seven years behind bars.
According to the Riverside Police Department, on the morning of last June 19, the defendants burst into Riverside Medical Pharmacy in the 6700 block of Indiana Avenue, wearing masks and gloves.
McCain pulled a handgun and held it on the five employees, while his two cohorts began grabbing prescription drug bottles and money, taking it from the business, as well as directly from the victims, agency spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said.
He said the holdup ended when the trio grabbed what they could carry and fled to a dark-colored vehicle parked in front, speeding away from the location.
No one was physically injured.
Detectives soon identified the vehicle and its owner — Bias — culminating in a warrant being issued for his arrest, according to Railsback.
He said California Highway Patrol officers spotted it along Interstate 15 on June 22, leading to a traffic stop during which Bias was taken into custody without incident and turned over to Riverside police.
Over the ensuing 10 days, Johnson and McCain were identified as co-conspirators, and warrants were served on them at different properties in Los Angeles, where they were arrested without incident.
“Evidence linking these suspects to the armed robbery was located during the search warrants,” Railsback said.
It’s unknown how long they had staked out the pharmacy before targeting it for robbery.
They had no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.