'Loading Up': 4 Calif. Men Charged with Committing Armed Robberies After Allegedly Boasting on Instagram

The four men allegedly had the Los Angeles robbery routine down pat: Drive up to a 7-Eleven or CVS pharmacy in their blue BMW, their faces disguised with ski masks, pull out a gun on the cashier and demand cash from the register or drugs from the store — and then post their loot on Instagram.

“Love my bros we go hit every time,” one of the men allegedly captioned a post with stacks of cash, per an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court of Central California and obtained by PEOPLE.

Charles Christopher, 24,  Jordan Leonard, 25, Tazjar Rouse, 22, and D’Angelo Spencer, 26, were arrested Tuesday, July 23 on a nine-count federal indictment charging them with committing armed robberies at several businesses in Los Angeles County.

“Violent gun crime leaves lasting emotional and psychological scars for victims,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “Anyone thinking that violent robberies are a good way to make money should take note that there will be consequences for your actions.”

Unsealed Tuesday, the indictment charges the four men with one count of conspiracy of interference with commerce by robbery and the same charge under the Hobbs Act, which criminalizes robbery or extortion affecting interstate commerce.

The four men have also been charged with additional counts that fall under Hobbs Act robbery, as well as with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. (The targeted 7-Eleven stores and CVS pharmacy sold products from outside California, enabling the additional charges.)

Over a seven-week period from early November until Christmas Eve 2023, the foursome – along with other unnamed alleged co-conspirators" – allegedly committed a slew of Los Angeles County robberies, targeting 7-Eleven stores and netting about $7,617 in cash, along with thousands in CVS pharmaceuticals, which they would later sell, prosecutors claim.

The men would allegedly pull up to the targeted business in “a distinct blue 2011 BMW 328i four-door car,” the indictment alleges.

With one man as look-out, Christopher and Leonard would allegedly “sometimes brandish a firearm to frighten and control employees and customers inside the business,” the indictment claims.

On Nov. 4 Spencer made a series of posts to Instagram before and after an alleged robbery -

‘Loving Someone, Becoming Friends, is a ,...

of a Los Angeles 7-Eleven with Christopher and others. One post allegedly showed wads of cash after the robbery, while another allegedly showed Spencer in black clothing, with his ski mask “​​pulled up to expose his face,” per the indictment, which claims his all-black outfit matched what the robbery suspects were wearing.

In one post, obtained by PEOPLE, one of the men published a picture of $100 bills, time-stamped 1:24 p.m. Nov. 4, 2023. “Loading up,” he wrote in purple font, preceded by a sunglasses-wearing smiley face and a green check mark.

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Christopher and Spencer allegedly returned to the same 7-Eleven on Nov. 28. There, “Christopher and Spencer jumped over the sales counter, took money from three cash registers, and placed the money in a black Nike bag,” per the indictment. 

Later that day, prosecutors allege in the indictment that Spencer dashed off multiple Instagram posts, posting “stacks of cash.”

Leonard also posted to Instagram following the robbery, professing his love for “my bros” in the picture of piled cash, tagging Christopher and Spencer, the indictment alleges.

And, after Christopher, Leonard and Rouse allegedly stole about $2,130 worth of pharmaceuticals from a Los Angeles CVS on Dec. 11, Rouse allegedly “advertised the stolen CVS medication for sale” on Instagram, per the indictment.

“I got syrup,” he allegedly wrote in an Instagram message, referring to the stolen medication.

Christopher and Leonard were arraigned Tuesday in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles,  where they pleaded not guilty to the charges and were ordered jailed without bond, according to prosecutors. They are scheduled for trial Sept. 17.

Rouse made his initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in Kansas City, Mo. Online filings do not indicate if he entered a plea.

Spencer is slated for arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles Wednesday, July 24.

As of early Wednesday afternoon, no lawyers were listed for the men in online court records.

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