E. Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
A Colombian national residing illegally in the United States has admitted to a federal charge related to an armed robbery at a Beverly Hills hotel. Jamer Mauricio Sepulveda Salazar, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act. He has been held in federal custody since August 2024.
The plea agreement revealed that Sepulveda served as the getaway driver during the August 7, 2024 incident. The robbery took place at "THE Blvd," a restaurant within the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. During dinnertime, two unidentified robbers confronted a victim known as "T.A." and forcibly took his Patek Philippe Nautilus wristwatch valued at approximately $1 million.
Sepulveda and co-defendant Jesus Eduardo Bryan Padron Rojas, 20, an illegal Venezuelan national, surveyed the area two days before the heist seeking T.A.'s watch. The group appraised it at $1.3 million.
In another encounter in Beverly Hills, they targeted an individual wearing a $30,000 Rolex wristwatch, which was also stolen at gunpoint by Sepulveda's crew.
The group stayed at an Airbnb during this period and possessed several firearms. Among these was a Glock .45-caliber handgun loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition previously registered to Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles Police Officer who died following multiple murders in February 2013.
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II has scheduled Sepulveda's sentencing for July 14. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Charges against Padron remain pending. The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the Blythe Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler are prosecuting this case.
