Houston Men Convicted of Robbing Lake Charles Jewelry Store Receive Lengthy Federal Prison Sentences

LAKE CHARLES, La. - United StatesAttorney Brandon B. Brown announced that four men from Houston, Texas, who robbed a jewelry store in Lake Charles on June 8, 2020, have been sentenced. All four defendants pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and were sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr.

Phaezon Stewart, 24, was sentenced to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Joshua Evans, 35, was sentenced to 137 months (11 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Cary S. Nimmons, Jr., 32, was sentenced to 105 months (8 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Johnson Moore, 25, was sentenced to 135 months (11 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

On June 8, 2020, Stewart and other individuals traveled from Houston to Lake Charles with the intention to commit a robbery of Nederland Jewelers. On that date, Stewart entered the store armed with a black Springfield XD handgun and ordered the employees to get on the ground. Evans and Terry entered the store wearing masks and armed with hammers and one carrying a backpack. While Stewart pointed the firearm at the employee victims, the others used hammers to break the glass display cases and remove over 34 Rolex watches with an estimated value of over $350,000. Stewart and the others then exited the store and fled the scene in a white Porsche.

The white Porsche then traveled to the L'Auberge Casino and stopped and met with a Chevrolet Impala being driven by Nimmons, with Moore as a passenger. Evans and Terry exited the Porsche with the backpack containing the stolen Rolex watches and got into the Impala with Nimmons and Moore and began traveling towards a residence in Lake Charles. Law enforcement agents were able to track the suspects to a specific area on Pryce Street in Lake Charles and began to search the area. Officers located Terry and Evans hiding in a shed with the backpack in their possession which contained 32 of the 34 stolen Rolex watches. Nimmons was found in a nearby carport and Moore was found behind a residence less than 200 feet from where the other defendants were located, and all were subsequently arrested.

Trevione James Terry, 26, a co-conspirator in this case, is scheduled to be sentenced October 10, 2024, at 1:30, for his involvement in this robbery, as well as the robbery of Korman Fine Jewelry in Austin, Texas on May 7, 2020. Terry pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information on July 8, 2024, charging him with interference with commerce by robbery, using carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lake Charles Police Department and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.

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