District Attorney Vern Pierson announces
the felony convictions of Adam James Sanford for two counts of robbery, two
counts of attempted robbery, four counts of assault with a semi-automatic
firearm, as well as special allegations for use and discharge of a firearm and
use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a robbery.
The six men, six women jury heard
testimony and evaluated evidence over three days. During trial, the jury learned that on
November 13, 2015, the Defendant approached two victims in the parking lot of
the CVS Pharmacy in South Lake Tahoe, brandished both a gun and a knife, and
threatened to shoot and stab the victims unless they gave him money. The
Defendant took a wallet from one victim and fled to the Beach Retreat Hotel
where he brandished a gun and knife, threatened, and demanded money from two
additional victims at an art exhibit. The Defendant took money from one of the
victims and then fired a round from his handgun into the air before fleeing the
scene. The Defendant was subsequently apprehended by officers from the South
Lake Tahoe Police Department. At the
conclusion of the trial, the jury found the defendant guilty of all charges and
special allegations.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy
District Attorney Miles Perry, who has been a prosecutor for over four years
and joined the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office in September, 2015.
District Attorney Vern Pierson commented,
“The District Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively and proactively
investigate and prosecute defendants who choose to commit violent crime in our
community. I am proud of the way all of
our employees are committed to the successful prosecution of these complicated
cases.”
Sanford is due to be sentenced by the
Honorable Suzanne Kingsbury in Department 3 of the El Dorado County Superior
Court on April 18, 2016.