NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced on Friday, July 26, 2019 that RICHARD SANSBURY, age 26, and ALAN PARSON, age 18, residents of Indianapolis, Indiana, were charged in a three count Indictment for their alleged participation in the June 17, 2019 robbery of the CVS pharmacy located at 4901 Prytania Street.

At approximately 6:06 a.m., SANSBURY and PARSON entered the 24-hour pharmacy, armed with weapons.  Both wore hooded sweatshirts and blue medical gloves.  Upon entering the store, SANSBURY removed a firearm from his waistband, went behind the front counter, and detained a cashier by using zip-ties.  SANSBURY led the cashier to another area of the store.  PARSON relocated to the rear of the store, in the pharmacy area, and forced another employee to the ground before securing the employee’s feet with zip-ties.  PARSON is then alleged to have filled a large trash bag with several pill bottles that he retrieved from the pharmacy safe.  SANSBURY is alleged to have relocated to the pharmacy area where he continued to zip-tie the employee’s hands whom PARSON initially detained.  SANSBURY and PARSON began to exit the store.

Upon exiting the store, PARSON and SANSBURY engaged on a shootout with responding officers of the New Orleans Police Department.  The confrontation resulted in a bullet wound to one of the officers, who was shot in the shoulder.  Video surveillance captured the robbery as it occurred inside of the CVS, as well as the subsequent shootout with police as SANSBURY and PARSON fled the store.

In count 1 of the Indictment, SANSBURY and PARSON are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery involving a controlled substance, in violation of Title 18, United States Section, 2118.  If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.  In count 2, SANSBURY and PARSON are charged with armed robbery involving controlled substances in violation of Title 18, United States Sections, 2118(a) and (c)(1).  If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 25 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. In count three, SANSBURY and PARSON are charged with discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Sections, 924(c)(1)(A)(iii) .  If convicted, both face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00.

U. S. Attorney Strasser reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller and Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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