GRETNA, LA — The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office announced the guilty plea and prison sentence of a man in connection with an armed robbery in Gretna.
40-year-old Royal Stevens pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, one count for each of the four victims inside the Old Gretna Pharmacy in the 500 block of Lafayette Street.
The robbery happened a little before 5:30 in the evening on May 15, 2015.
Prosecutors say Stevens and another man entered the business while carrying empty boxes in their hands. Once inside, they pulled pistols from the waistbands of their pants and demanded the employees to fill the boxes with money and prescription medications like hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Prosecutors say Stevens was also seen on the store’s security camera footage on the day prior to the robbery. They say he was there to case the place and plan the crime.
Prosecutors also say a second suspect was arrested but was not charged due to lack of evidence.
During his 40-years in prison, Stevens will not be eligible for probation, parole, or suspension of his sentence.