Abigail Luckey, a 50-year-old resident of North Hollywood finally ran out of luck as she pleaded guilty on Thursday, Jan. 8, to federal charges after allegations that she was the getaway driver in several robberies of smoke shops, doughnut shops and convenience stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties two years ago.
Luckey accepted a plea of to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act, which criminalizes robbery or extortion affecting interstate commerce. Her sentencing is set for April 16.
Luckey’s co-defendant, Antonio Bland, a 36-year-old also from North Hollywood pleaded guilty to his role in the robberies previously. He has been set for sentencing as well at a future date. Ronnie Tucker, a 23-year-old resident of Long Beach, the third defendant, is awaiting trial.
Prosecutors said the suspects targeted a dozen businesses in January and February of 2024, including a smoke shop in Tustin, nine 7-Eleven stores in North Hollywood, Burbank, Torrance, Van Nuys, Long Beach and Glendale, Pasadena; and doughnut shops in Los Angeles and Downey.
Incredibly, Luckey and Bland drove to Las Vegas and got married on Feb. 6, 2024, in the midst of the 12 robberies, before they came back to Southern California to commit yet another robbery two days later, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
These robberies generally happened late at night. The robberies usually involved two men who would enter each of the targeted business while wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks, according to the federal prosecutors. In several of the crimes, Luckey waited outside in a four-door sedan for her fellow cirminals so they could flee after the robberies, according to the prosecutors.
The crime spree finally came to an end after Luckey, Bland and Tucker committed an attempted robbery of a doughnut shop in Downey during the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day 2024.
Once the suspects entered the doughnut shop, one of them screamed out “Open the cash register!”
A store employee noticed that a suspect, believed to be Bland, had what looked like a handgun tucked into his front waistband with the handle visible, according to the prosecutors. The employee then ran toward the rear kitchen area from behind the main sales counter.
The suspected robbers then jumped the counter as they followed him, but the employee retrieved his own gun. The employee then fired at least one shot, hitting a wall of the building, in an attempt to scare off the robbers.
The robbers then panicked and ran out of the store. Unfortunately for the robbers they ran into detectives from the Burbank Police Department, who had been surveilling them after a series of robberies in Los Angeles and Orange counties. They were then arrested.
Sentences faced by the suspects
Abigail Luckey (50, North Hollywood)
- Pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act (18 U.S.C. § 1951).
- Each Hobbs Act count carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
- Her total statutory maximum exposure is 40 years, though that is not considered realistic in this case.
- Because she pleaded guilty, accepted responsibility, and acted primarily as the getaway driver rather than entering stores herself, she is expected to receive a substantially lower sentence than the maximum.
- In similar federal Hobbs Act robbery cases involving drivers and non‑gunmen, sentences commonly fall in the range of approximately four to ten years in prison.
- She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, following preparation of a federal pre‑sentence report.
Antonio Bland (36, North Hollywood)
- Pleaded guilty to his role in the robbery spree under the Hobbs Act.
- As one of the individuals who entered businesses during the robberies, he is considered more culpable than Luckey under federal sentencing guidelines.
- He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each Hobbs Act count.
- Even with a guilty plea, his expected sentence is likely higher than Luckey’s due to his direct participation in the robberies.
- In comparable cases, defendants with similar roles often receive sentences in the range of approximately eight to fifteen years.
- His sentencing date has not yet been set.
Ronnie Tucker (23, Long Beach)
- Has not pleaded guilty and is awaiting trial on federal robbery charges.
- He is expected to face multiple Hobbs Act counts related to the robbery spree, as well as an attempted robbery charge connected to the Downey doughnut shop incident.
- Each Hobbs Act count carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison.
- If convicted at trial, he would not receive any reduction for acceptance of responsibility.
- Defendants convicted after trial in multi‑robbery federal cases often receive significantly longer sentences than co‑defendants who plead guilty.
- If convicted, his realistic sentencing exposure could fall in the range of approximately fifteen to twenty‑five years, depending on the number of counts and his criminal history.
Additional Legal Context
- The robberies were charged federally because they affected interstate commerce, which allows prosecution under the Hobbs Act.
- Federal sentences do not allow parole, and defendants typically serve about 85 percent of their sentence.
- Mandatory restitution to the victim businesses is likely for any defendant who is sentenced.