Members of a West Oakland street gang were sentenced to a total of 60 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies that targeted small businesses around the Bay Area, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.
Nine associates of the Ghost Town gang– Demarco Barnett, 36, Jakari Jenkins, 34, Danny Garcia, 41, Garland Rabon, 30, Aramiya Burrell, 35, Lester Garnett, 34, Darrin Hutchinson, 39, Ricky Joseph, 37, and Keanna Smith-Stewart, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce.
According to prosecutors, in March 2022, Jenkins, Barnett and Joseph carried out an armed robbery at a coin and stamp store in San Francisco. The men entered the store, pulled out guns and demanded money from the owner and his son. The son was hit in the head and his hands were zip-tied before the crew took off with cash, jewelry and coins.
In November 2022, five of the co-conspirators, three of which were armed, entered a jewelry store in San Pablo and stole bags of jewelry before leaving in a getaway car being driven by two more. Jenkins and Barnett took part in this robbery, along with Rabon, Garcia and Hutchinson.
A third heist took place in December 2022, this time at a marijuana business in Oakland. Gang members arrived just as an employee was leaving, pulled out guns and forced the person back into the building. They demanded “budded weed” and money and hit the employee in the head with a gun. They searched the man’s pockets and stole his debit card, then fled with a bag of cannabis plant trimmings. Jenkins, Barnett, Rabon, Burrell, Garnett and Garcia pleaded guilty to this robbery.
Barnett was given the longest sentence, with 9 and half years in federal prison. Jenkins got 8 years. The rest of the sentences ranged from 4 to 7 years.
So they got wrist slaps and will serve half of their sentences for committing armed robbery and assaulting people with firearms? Great work.
They will be doing a lot more than half of their sentences. On a federal rap,
they have to serve a minimum of 85% of their time, and federal prisoners
must be on their best behavior to qualify for a reduction of their sentence.
That’s just the federal charges. Hopefully the new three DAs will file parallel state charges and seek consecutive sentences.