Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill announced the three men law enforcement dubbed the “Tracksuit Bandits” changed their pleas in Multnomah County Circuit Court and have been sentenced.
Kobe Cordray, 21, pleaded no contest to one count of attempted murder and two counts of robbery in the first degree. According to court records, Cordray was sentenced on December 6, 2018 and received a 192 month prison sentence.
Lamarr Luster Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery in the first degree. On December 4, 2018, Luster Jr. received a 168 month prison sentence.
Angelo Luster, 18, pleaded no contest to two counts of robbery in the second degree on November 9, 2018 and received a 98 month prison sentence.
From December 9th, 2017 to January 21st, 2018 a crew of armed robbers, later identified as the defendants listed above, committed a series of nine robberies in Portland, Gresham, and Milwaukie.
During the robberies, the defendants wore masks to hide their faces and used firearms as force to steal cash and other items from convenience stores. Upon conclusion of each robbery, the masked men would leave in a white Ford Excursion. Witnesses were able to provide law enforcement with critical pieces of information that helped them identify the vehicle, which resulted in a traffic stop on January 21, 2018.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, detectives named the group the "Tracksuit Bandits" because they wore matching tracksuits during several of the armed robberies they committed.
“These individuals, because of their actions, caused a lot of fear in our community,” Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney David Hannon said after sentencing. “The force they used could result in lasting emotional trauma for the victims. In one case, a store employee was grabbed by his shirt and had a gun pointed directly at his shoulder while being ordered to open the cash register.”
Based on the evidence obtained during this investigation and police interviews, law enforcement believe the “Tracksuit Bandits” were responsible for the following armed robberies that occurred in Multnomah and Clackamas County:
- December 9, 2017 – 1:03 a.m. – Rounders, located at 1509 Northeast 181st Avenue, Gresham
- December 20, 2017 – 9:21 p.m. – Smokers Zone, located at 16101 Southeast Division, Portland
- January 2, 2018 – 7:30 p.m. – Little Store, located at 2936 Southeast Washington Street, Milwaukie
- January 2, 2018 – 8:30 p.m. – Smokers Zone, located at 15400 Southeast Powell Boulevard, Portland
- January 2, 2018 – 8:53 p.m. – Roll Your Own, located at 15801 Southeast Monroe Street, Milwaukie
- January 11, 2018 – 9:08 p.m. – Sunny Corner Market, located at 5010 Southeast Monroe Street, Milwaukie
- January 16, 2018 – 7:09 p.m. – All Stop Pipe and Tobacco, located at 14407 Southeast Division Street, Portland
- January 21, 2018 – 7:04 p.m. - Food King, located at 2909 Northeast Prescott Street, Portland
- January 21, 2018 – 8:14 p.m. – Neighborhood Market, located at 9061 Northeast Sandy Boulevard in Portland
On January 21, 2018, all three men were found inside a white SUV that match the description from earlier robberies. The traffic stop occurred shortly after the armed robbery in the 9000 block of Northeast Sandy Blvd. During the search of the vehicle, law enforcement found items that had been reported as stolen.
Detectives with the Portland Police Bureau Robbery Unit executed multiple warrants in this case and found additional evidence including a loaded 9 mm handgun.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to recognize the efforts of the patrol officers with Portland Police, Gresham Police, and Milwaukie Police for their quick response to each of the reported armed robberies. Additionally, the District Attorney’s Office recognizes the work of the detectives from each agency. Those detectives were able to share evidence that helped put these cases together. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance throughout this investigation.
“We believe this is an appropriate resolution that holds all three individuals accountable for their actions. This case highlights the tremendous work done by law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute these individuals,” SDDA Hannon said.
Source: Multnomah County District Attorney