EPHRATA, Pa. — A North Carolina man was convicted recently of federal robbery charges stemming from a 2020 incident in which he robbed a Lancaster County breeder of five French Bulldog puppies at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced this week.
Lamont Simpson, 23, of Greensboro, was found guilty of committing the armed robbery in October 2020. He was indicted a month later of robbery that interferes with interstate commerce, and interstate transportation of stolen goods, Williams said.
According to Williams, Simpson posed as a customer seeking to purchase the puppies, which were worth more than $23,000. When he arrived to "purchase" the dogs, he pulled a gun, pointed it at the victims, and stole them instead.
One of the victims recorded the registration of Simpson’s getaway vehicle, which was traced back to a rental company in Greensboro, North Carolina.
According to court documents, a customer of the breeder who had also been interested in purchasing one of the puppies later discovered an Instagram posting which featured a video and a photograph of the puppies, as well as photographs of Stimpson.
Simpson was arrested in North Carolina in December 2020.
“Stimpson committed armed robbery in order to greedily and callously steal vulnerable, living creatures,” said Williams. “This conviction demonstrates our Office’s commitment to prosecuting dangerous, armed criminals, no matter where they may run and hide. We are thankful to our partners here in Pennsylvania and in North Carolina for their partnership in bringing Stimpson to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ephrata Police Department, and the Greensboro (NC) Police Department
