Conroe, Texas, January 25, 2019 – On January 24, 2019, in front of the Honorable Lisa Michalk presiding in the 221st District Court in Montgomery County, Texas, defendant Lazerick Scott, 38, and co-defendant Gissel Hernandez, 25, entered pleas of guilty to the first degree felony offense of Aggravated Robbery, in exchange for a sentence of life in prison and 11 years in prison, respectively.
The State of Texas was prepared to prove that on or about April 17, 2018, defendant Scott entered the T-Mobile store located at Grand Parkway and FM 1314 in New Caney, where he pointed a firearm at two employees and one customer, led them to the back of the store, bound them with zip ties, and placed them on the floor. Scott then entered the safe and removed approximately 70 cell phones valued at approximately $50,000 and exited the store. Witnesses reported that throughout the incident, Scott was on the phone with an unknown female whom assisted him by serving as a lookout outside the store and as a getaway driver.
Special Agent Jeff Coughlin, assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston Field Office, was able to develop this defendant as a suspect and utilized the information he uncovered to link Scott to no fewer than seven additional aggravated robberies which took place primarily in Harris County. Special Agent Coughlin was assisted by a number of hard working detectives from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Bend Sheriff’s Department, and Houston Police Department. After numerous robberies were committed in Harris County, Special Agent Coughlin was able to pass on vital information to Detective Jeremy Kader of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department whom was able to link Scott to the robbery of the T-Mobile store here. In addition, detectives were able to identify co-defendant Gissel Hernandez as the lookout and getaway driver in all of the robberies that had been linked to Scott.
As part of the plea agreement in this case, Harris County agreed to forego prosecution on their cases in order to ensure that Scott will be locked up for virtually the remainder of his life. Scott will not be eligible for parole until the year 2048. Co-defendant Hernandez will not be eligible until the year 2025. Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Rob Freyer noted that “this case serves as the perfect example which demonstrates that the hard work of all of the officers and detectives who hit the street, gathered valuable information, and then most importantly, collaborated and shared that information to ensure that yet another group of violent criminals who travel to Montgomery County and choose to cause harm to those who live here, work here, and visit here, are strictly held accountable for their criminal actions. Let this result serve as a warning to anyone else contemplating doing the same.”
Lazerick Scott – 38 – CONVCITED OF AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
Gizzel Hernandez – 25 – CONVICTED OF AGGRAVATED ROBBERY
