A South L.A. man who tailed shoppers from malls to their driveways across Los Angeles and Orange counties late last year has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a string of armed “follow-home” robberies that stretched from the Valley to Norwalk.
Elijah Isaiah Potts, 21, pleaded guilty in December to interference with commerce by robbery and on Friday received a 120-month federal term from U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb, who also set a separate hearing to decide restitution, as reported by Los Angeles Daily News. Prosecutors cast Potts as the driving force behind multiple holdups and pushed for a stiff sentence.
How the spree unfolded
According to federal filings, the robbery spree ran from Aug. 31 through Sept. 19 and included incidents on Sept. 3, Sept. 4, two robberies on Sept. 10 and a Sept. 19 holdup. The targets were scattered across Norwalk, Sherman Oaks, Bellflower, Glendale, Valley Village and Artesia, and the case also involved an attempted carjacking in Newport Beach, with surveillance video and phone-location data tying the suspects to the scenes, according to MyNewsLA.
One of the most alarming episodes came on Sept. 3 in Sherman Oaks, prosecutors say, when the pair allegedly ripped a Rolex worth about $20,000 off a victim within feet of a 10-month-old baby, the victim’s wife and a 4-year-old child. In a sentencing brief, prosecutors wrote that Potts “repeatedly displayed a total disregard for human life,” asked for a 135-month term and sought $36,109.75 in restitution. They also pointed out that the spree unfolded less than five months after Potts had been sentenced in another robbery case and noted that his alleged co-defendant, Devin Matthew Thomas, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2026, as reported by Los Angeles Daily News.
Prosecutors sought more; restitution hearing set
Federal prosecutors argued for a longer sentence, telling the court that Potts went back to violent crime soon after his prior state court outcome and asking the judge to award restitution to the victims. Judge Holcomb ultimately imposed the 120-month term and will hold a separate hearing to sort out restitution and individual victim claims.
Legal note
Potts pleaded guilty to a Hobbs Act offense, interference with commerce by robbery, a federal charge used in cases where robberies are deemed to affect interstate commerce and that can bring lengthy prison terms when paired with firearms enhancements. Prosecutors brought the case in federal court because the alleged conduct crossed jurisdictional lines and, in their view, posed a serious threat to public safety…