California Man Sentenced For His Involvement In A Series Of Armored Car Robberies In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A man was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years and six months in federal prison for his role in a series of violent armored car robberies in Las Vegas and Henderson, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.

Phillip Shiel, 23, of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty on April 16 2019, to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In addition to the incarceration, United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Shiel to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution.

According to court documents, Shiel admitted that he and others conspired to conduct a series of armed robberies of armored cars in Las Vegas. Shiel and his co-conspirators robbed three armored car messengers at gunpoint. They told the victims in each robbery to “Drop the bags, drop the bags!” to which the victims complied. The robberies that Shiel pleaded guilty to occurred on July 15, 2017, at the Walmart Grocery on Silverado Ranch, and on August 14, 2017, at the Wells Fargo Bank at North Pecos Road. Each time, the co-conspirators took the money bags and fled in a getaway vehicle. As a result of the conspiracy, the total loss was in excess of $180,000. Shiel and his co-conspirators were taken into custody in a parking lot while they were preparing to commit another armed robbery.

Co-defendants Trayvale Harrison, Randel Burge, Ianthe Rowland, and Shantae Williams await a jury trial scheduled on August 13, 2019. The charges against them are merely allegations and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The investigation leading to the arrests and charges was conducted jointly by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Robbery and Major Violators sections, and the Henderson Police Department. The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force consists of FBI Special Agents and Detectives from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the North Las Vegas Police Department.