A Jefferson Parish judge on Friday (May 30) sentenced Larry Davis to 120 years in prison for his conviction of robbing four people at three businesses in one day, including a drug store in Metairie and two discount retail stores on the West Bank. 

A jury on May 14 deliberated for 25 minutes in convicting Davis, 56, of New Orleans, as charged of four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, all of which occurred on March 28, 2019.  

Davis began the armed robbery spree just before 3:30 a.m., in the 1700 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. Davis, his face mostly covered with a cloth and dressed in black clothing, entered the drug store armed with a small, silver semiautomatic pistol.  

He robbed the cashier of money in the register and a customer of his credit card as he was attempting to pay for his items. Davis ran out of the store with the register till and fled in a white pickup truck. 

About six hours later, at 9:25 a.m., Davis entered a discount retail store in the 8900 block of the Westbank Expressway in Bridge City, wearing all black clothing. He asked the cashier for cigarettes. As she turned with the cigarettes, Davis brandished a small, silver semiautomatic pistol and demanded money. He fled with the register till in a white pickup truck. 

Just over 10 hours later, at 7:40 p.m., Davis, again wearing dark clothing, entered a discount retail store in the 3800 block of U.S. 90 in Avondale. He asked the cashier for a pack of cigarettes and then brandished a small, silver semiautomatic pistol. And again, he fled in a white pickup truck.  

Even before the third robbery occurred, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives had Davis’s and the getaway driver Israel Johnathan Freeman’s names as their suspects, after their fingerprints were lifted from the register till taken in the Metairie armed robbery. An off-duty Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy happened to find that till in the street about a mile from the drug store. The Sheriff’s Office also advised deputies to be on the lookout for the white Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck. 

Less than an hour after the third robbery, a deputy who was working an off-duty detail in the Avondale area – and who also was involved in the investigation of the day’s second robbery — spotted the suspect white pickup truck. That deputy attempted to stop the pickup and called for assistance. 

The robbers led deputies and detectives in a pursuit across the Huey P. Long Bridge, traveling at more than 90 mph. The deputies lost sight of the robbers at Clearview Parkway and Airline Drive. Moments later, a citizen called 911, reporting that the pickup was abandoned at North Woodlawn Avenue and Flamingo Street. During the canvas of that area, a detective caught Davis in the 100 block of Houma Boulevard.  

Davis’s trial began on May 12. He was in court during the first day, but he refused to leave the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna to attend the remainder of his 3-day trial. 

On Friday, Judge Ray Steib of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Davis to 30 years in prison for each of the four armed robbery counts. Each count includes a 5-year firearm enhancement, because Davis was armed with the pistol in robbing the four victims. 

Freeman, 35, of New Orleans, who is Davis’s co-defendant, eluded deputies during the day of the robberies and was arrested in Centerville, Miss., on April 10, 2019. He pleaded guilty as charged in September 2019 before Judge Steib. Freeman received a 15-year sentence. 

Assistant District Attorneys Theresa King and Brendan Bowen prosecuted the case.