Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.

April 1, 2007

Three Down Below Gang Members sentenced

SAN FRANCISCO - Three members of the Down Below Gang (DBG) – a violent street gang based in the Sunnydale Public Housing Project in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley neighborhood – were sentenced today for their criminal roles in the gang. These sentences are the result of a joint investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Francisco Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Scott N. Schools said, “Today's sentences demonstrate our commitment to putting violent gang members behind bars. We will continue to support the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI in investigating these cases to make our streets safer for the residents of San Francisco.”

Two of the defendants were sentenced for violent crimes as part of a RICO conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)) and received the following sentences:

* Don Johnson, age 21, received a sentence of 23 years in federal prison and five years supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, two murders, and conspiring to murder five others.
* Dornell Ellis, age 26, received a sentence of 15 years and 8 months in federal prison and five years supervised release for one murder and conspiring to commit another murder.

Johnson and Ellis will be responsible for paying $7,800 in restitution that will be used to pay for burial expenses for one of the murder victims.

Paris Ragland, age 21, received a sentence of 70 months imprisonment and three years supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The sentencing hearing for Rickey Rollins is scheduled for April 11, 2007.

For further information about this prosecution and the plea agreements, please see the prior press release at: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/can/press/2006/2006_12_04_DownBelowGang.8guiltypleas.press.html

The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup. The defendants are already in custody and will begin serving the sentences immediately.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard J. Cutler, C. David Hall, William Frentzen, Philip Kearney, and Trial Attorney Krista Tongring from the Department of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. Shane Verplanck and Kim Hopkins assisted in the prosecution. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office provided important assistance to the prosecution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department also contributed to the investigation and prosecution.

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CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

JOSEPH SHEMARIA

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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.