Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 03/13/03

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Carla Claeys

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE ROBERT BOYD SENTENCED DEFENDANT SAMMIE LEE FORD TO A PRIMARY PRISON TERM OF 25 YEARS TO LIFE, WITH A SUBORDINATE TERM OF TWO YEARS, FOUR MONTHS, UNDER THE THREE STRIKES LAW.

On today’s date, Superior Court Judge Robert Boyd sentenced defendant Sammie Lee Ford to a primary prison term of 25 years to life, with a subordinate term of two years, four months, under the Three Strikes Law.

On March 12, 2001, Mr. Ford and three co-defendants traveled to the Petaluma Outlet Malls and burglarized two jewelry stores. The burglars rented two rental cars, and used boltcutters and crowbars to break into the stores while they were closed. Mr. Ford was identified from a surveillance video standing outside the Ultra jewelry store minutes before the four men broke in. The suspects were able to steal $20,000 to $30,000 dollars’ worth of jewelry in one minute, twenty seven seconds.

Petaluma police arrived as the four men were driving away from the scene in the rental cars. Mr. Ford was arrested along with Taumu James and Robert Morgan. The fourth man, Michael Bourgeois, was able to flee the police and was not seen again that evening. He was ultimately arrested in Santa Barbara many months later.

In January, 2003, Mr. Ford was convicted after a trial by jury of two counts of commercial burglary. The two strikes were proven in a court trial, based on a 1992 robbery conviction and a 1993 voluntary manslaughter conviction. Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos commented, “Mr. Ford’s history of violence warrants a life sentence under the Three Strikes law.”

Eight days prior to this crime, on March 4, 2001, Mr. Ford, Mr. Bourgeois, and Mr. James were arrested in West Covina, California, for an identical crime. In that case, the three men and a fourth, unidentified man burglarized a jewelry store using similar methods to commit the crime. They were arrested after being caught by police while fleeing the victim business.

Mr. Ford’s co-defendants Michael Bourgeois and Robert Morgan are currently serving prison sentences after a trial by a Sonoma County jury in October, 2001. Mr. Bourgeois received a three year, eight month sentence in state prison, and was subsequently sent to Los Angeles County to face charges there. Mr. Morgan received a three year sentence in state prison.

Taumu James pled guilty to the charges and is currently serving a total prison term of nine years, eight months in prison for both the Sonoma County and Los Angeles County crimes.