Three homeless men were sentenced today for robbing a dozen mobile phone stores in the Downtown Los Angeles area, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Deputy District Attorney Jeff Megee said Renell Samuel Collins, 52, pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree robbery and admitted four prior felony convictions.

Collins was immediately sentenced to 10 years in state prison.

Additionally, Dexter Powell, 49, and Stephen Wayne Rodgers, 46, both pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree robbery and were immediately sentenced to two years in prison.

The robberies, in which Collins used a BB gun to threaten employees, took place between July and August 2016 in and around Downtown Los Angeles, the prosecutor said. The defendants made off with hundreds of dollars in cash and cell phones, the prosecutor added.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery/Homicide Division.

Los Angeles District Attorney / November 14, 2017