IOWA CITY, IA — Three people were arrested Friday in connection with a July robbery in which investigators say a victim was lured into a plan, taken to another location and robbed at gunpoint in Iowa City. Criminal complaints say the case involved cellphones, multiple suspects and a fourth person who has also been accused in the wider conspiracy.
Police say the robbery happened about noon on July 25, when the victim was targeted for a large amount of cash. The complaints identify the three defendants as Tiara L. Hammons, 29; Brianna R. Harvey, 29; and Maurice D. McKinnis, 34. All three face first-degree robbery charges.
Police say victim was taken to the 2400 block of Lakeside Drive before the robbery
According to Iowa City police, two of the suspects took the victim to the 2400 block of Lakeside Drive. Once there, the other two allegedly carried out the robbery at gunpoint. Investigators say the suspects acted together after coordinating through cellphones.
The criminal complaints say the robbery was not a random encounter but part of a planned effort among the suspects and a fourth person. Police did not publicly describe the victim or say exactly how the group made contact before the incident. The location in southeast Iowa City became the setting for the confrontation that ended with the theft of cash.
Search warrants, interviews and phone records helped investigators build the case
Iowa City police said they learned about the alleged conspiracy through interviews, search warrants and phone records. Those investigative steps were cited in the criminal complaints as the basis for identifying the people involved and linking them to the July 25 robbery.
That evidence reportedly helped officers piece together how the victim was moved to the scene and how the group communicated before the theft. The complaints do not say whether any of the suspects have entered pleas. They also do not indicate whether the fourth person mentioned in the conspiracy has been arrested or formally charged in the same case.
First-degree robbery charges could bring up to 25 years in prison
Hammons, Harvey and McKinnis are each charged with first-degree robbery, which is a Class B felony under Iowa law. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if someone is convicted.
The arrests on Friday marked the first public step in the case after the July robbery, but the complaints suggest investigators still view the matter as a broader group effort. With three suspects now in custody, the allegations center on a gunpoint theft, a planned move to another block and a coordinated communication trail that police say tied the defendants to the crime.
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