FBI Broadens Probe of Two Heist Suspects

Two men charged in a string of South Bay robberies are now under investigation by the FBI and local counterterrorism officials after a list of potential terrorist targets was discovered at one of their homes, authorities said Thursday.

Although Torrance police said their investigation was just beginning, several law enforcement officials said the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating the men for possibly planning a hate crime or other extremist action. The list found by investigators, according to one source, included a variety of public and private locations that would not logically be targeted by suspected robbers.

The men, identified as Gregory Vernon Patterson, 21, and Levar Haney Washington, 25, were arrested late Tuesday during a stakeout and were taken into custody during a gas station robbery.

They have been charged with nine counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery at South Bay gas stations and convenience stores.

But on Wednesday, federal and local counterterrorism officials were brought into the case when authorities became suspicious about the list found at one man’s home and whether financial gain was the sole motive for robberies at the businesses, sources said Thursday.

Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton confirmed in a Thursday morning news conference that the two men had been arrested in connection with the robberies but declined to provide any details about the larger case. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed that terrorism officials were investigating the case but also declined to provide details.

The men, both identified by authorities as U.S. citizens and Islamic converts, appeared Thursday in Torrance Superior Court with federal and local counterterrorism investigators and prosecutors on hand.

“Everyone moved on this very quickly,” one law enforcement official said. “But we have a lot of stuff to go through before we know what it all means.”

Patterson, believed to have once worked at Los Angeles International Airport, is being held on $1-million bail. Washington, identified as having had a previous criminal conviction, is being held on $2-million bail. Both remain in custody at Men’s Central Jail.