Ringleader of 2014 Phoenix armored car robbery found guilty of murder

PHOENIX – The ringleader of a 2014 armored car robbery attempt in Phoenix that left one suspect dead has been convicted on four counts, including murder, authorities said.

Alonzo Ferguson, 40, was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 17, 2020, after being found guilty Monday of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and attempt to commit armed robbery.

It’s considered first-degree murder in Arizona when a death occurs while certain felonies, including robbery, are being committed. A conviction on the charge is punishable by death or life in prison.

“The defendant planned and executed a violent scheme that resulted in the loss of life,” Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said in a press release.

Ferguson put together a team of men and supplied them with weapons for an attempt to rob an armored vehicle April 25, 2014, according to the release.

The vehicle’s guard shot and killed one of the men, and the other suspects fled, according to the release.

Investigators linked Ferguson to the case through cellphone analysis and DNA evidence and arrested him and four co-conspirators in January 2017.

One of the co-defendants identified Ferguson as the person in charge of the attempted heist, according to the release.

The four other men – Roosevelt Johnson, Alfredo Joe, Aaron Williams and Tayron Williams – all have pleaded guilty to charges related to the attempted robbery, leaving Ferguson as the only suspect on the hook for the murder charge.

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