Man Gets 24 Years for ‘Follow-Home’ Robberies of Area Women : Crimes: Police say he headed a gang that committed more than 20 similar crimes since mid-1991, typically involving Valley residents who wore expensive jewelry and drove luxury cars.

A Granada Hills man, who police say was the ringleader of a gang of “follow-home” bandits who preyed on wealthy women in the San Fernando Valley area, was sentenced Monday to 24 years in prison for robbery.

Bernard Roberts, 22, was convicted in December of seven robberies in which he and accomplices shadowed women who were shopping, followed them home and robbed them, usually as the women emerged from their cars.

Two other men already have been sentenced in the string of robberies, which ended May 26 when the Los Angeles Police Department’s Special Investigations Section watched the three follow a Woodland Hills woman home from a supermarket, then rob her $30,000 diamond ring and purse.

Police say they suspect that the three, plus a 17-year-old who was referred to Juvenile Court, committed more than 20 similar robberies since mid-1991, typically involving women who wore expensive jewelry and drove luxury cars.

The robbers seldom used a weapon, usually threatening to beat their victims with fists if they did not comply with demands, police said.

In one robbery last February, a woman was punched in the face and suffered a broken nose when she resisted attempts to take her ring, police said.

Richard Talley, 22, of Pasadena was sentenced Dec. 30 to seven years in prison after his conviction for the May 26 robbery, of which Roberts also was convicted.

Derrick Mosley, 20, of Pacoima pleaded guilty to the Woodland Hills robbery in June and was sentenced to three years in prison.

In seeking a long sentence for Roberts from Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Michael Harwin, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gloria M. Mas said Roberts was the organizer of the group and was on probation for burglary when several of the robberies were committed.

Police said Roberts and the others used money stolen in the robberies to pay for lawyers, sports cars and trips to Las Vegas.