Houston man sentenced to 10 years for 2013 robbery of Indian-American jewelry store

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Dominique Pearson, 25, of Houston, Texas was sentenced May 17, by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a daring robbery in broad daylight, of Tilak Jewelers in Irving, Texas.

On Nov. 17, 2013 morning, the perpetrators traveled from Houston to Dallas, stole vehicles to avoid detection, and prior to entering Tilak Jewelers disguised their identities covering their faces and wearing long-sleeve clothes, long pants, and gloves.

A press release from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas described the robbery where Pearson and his co-conspirators smashed the locked glass door of the store with a hammer, tied up the jewelry store owners with zip-ties, smashed jewelry display cases, and hauled away their bootie abandoning each stolen vehicle as they made their escape.

Kinkeade pleaded guilty in October 2016, to several counts including conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence. He has been in custody since his arrest in December 2015.

Pearson was charged along with eleven others in an indictment in February 2016, each of them on the same counts as him. They include Afraybeom Traverom Jackson, 27, Joshua Deunte Caldwell, 26, Hilton Murdock Aitch, 56, Irving Tyrone Flanagan, 47, Larry Solomon, 42, Terrence Lynn Thompson, 53, Anthony Ray Turner, Jr, 25, Treveon Dominique Anderson, 26, Michael Cornelious, 27, Xavier Rashad Ross, 25, and Vanlisa Scott, 47.

Nine of the 12 have pleaded guilty, two are set for trial in January 2018, and one has not made an appearance in the Northern District of Texas.