Including stealing bags of jewelry valued at $300K to $500K from San Pablo jewelry store
Will serve combined 60 years in prison
One suspect arrested 30 times since 2013
By U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California
OAKLAND – Nine associates of the Oakland-based “Ghost Town” gang have been sentenced to a combined total of nearly 60 years in prison for a series of armed robberies targeting small Bay Area businesses. The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, with the final defendant sentenced today.
The nine defendants, Demarco Barnett, 36 of Oakland; Jakari Jenkins, 34 of Stockton; Danny Garcia, 41; Garland Devonte Rabon, 30 of Mountain House; Aramiya Burrell, 35 of Oakland; Lester Andre Garnett, 34 of Tracy; Darrin Andre Hutchinson, 39 of Cherryland, CA, located between San Leandro and Hayward; Ricky Joseph, 37 of Oakland; and Keanna Alloise Smith-Stewart, 33 of West Sacramento, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce. Based on their involvement, eight of the defendants also pleaded guilty to a varying number of substantive counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
The robberies took place in 2022. On March 18, 2022, the co-conspirators engaged in the armed robbery of a coin and stamp store located on the tenth floor of a building in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco. The co-conspirators entered the store, brandished firearms, and demanded money from the business and the two individuals who happened to be present at the time – the owner and his son. The robbers struck the head and zip-tied the hands of the owner’s son, and absconded with cash, jewelry, and coins. Defendants Jenkins, Barnett, and Joseph were charged with and pleaded guilty to this robbery count.
The co-conspirators then struck a San Pablo jewelry store on Nov. 12, 2022. Five co-conspirators, at least three of whom were brandishing firearms, entered the store and pretended to be customers, while two others waited outside in the getaway cars. The co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at approximately $300,000 to $500,000.
As previously reported, the pretend customers left jewelry with the operators of the store. According to the indictment, Jenkins, Barnett, and Rabon arrived at the jewelry store with at least four other co-conspirators and robbed the store of jewelry, including the jewelry that members of the gang previously had left with the store. The robbers arrived in two getaway cars—both Dodge Chargers bearing stolen license plates. Five co-conspirators, at least three of whom were brandishing firearms, entered the store while two of the co-conspirators waited outside in the getaway cars. The co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at approximately $300,000 to $500,000. The indictment describes how all four defendants in the superseding indictment later wore the stolen jewelry, shared the stolen jewelry with other members of Ghost Town gang members, or otherwise made use of the stolen jewelry for their personal purposes.
Defendants Jenkins, Barnett, Rabon, Garcia and Hutchinson were charged with and pleaded guilty to this robbery count.
A third robbery occurred on Dec. 24, 2022, of a marijuana business in Oakland. The co-conspirators arrived at the business as an employee was leaving it. The robbers brandished weapons, directed the employee back into the building at gunpoint, demanding “budded weed” and “money.” One of the robbers struck the employee in the head with a firearm. The robbers searched through the employee’s pockets and stole his bank debit card. The robbers absconded with the victim’s debit card and a bag of marijuana plant trimmings. Defendants Jenkins, Barnett, Rabon, Burrell, Garnett, and Garcia were charged with and pleaded guilty to this robbery count.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
The following chart summarizes the number of counts each defendant pleaded guilty to and the sentence each defendant received:
Defendant
Number of Counts in Guilty Plea
Sentence (months)
Demarco Barnett
Conspiracy + 3 substantive robberies
114
Jakari Jenkins
Conspiracy + 3 substantive robberies
96
Danny Garcia
Conspiracy + 2 substantive robberies
84
Garland Rabon
Conspiracy + 2 substantive robberies
75
Aramiya Burrell
Conspiracy + 1 substantive robbery
82
Lester Garnett
Conspiracy + 1 substantive robbery
70
Darrin Hutchinson
Conspiracy + 1 substantive robbery
70
Ricky Joseph
Conspiracy + 1 substantive robbery
68
Keanna Smith-Stewart
Conspiracy
50
Total
709
In addition to the custodial time, the Court also ordered restitution in the amount of $150,338.00.
The Violent Crime Strike Force is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Yenni Weinberg. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.
Previous Arrests of Suspects
According to localcrimenews.com, the five-foot, 11-inch, 215-pound Demarco is Black and has a history of nine arrests dating back to 2014 including five times for burglary and once for hit-and-run; the five-foot, five-inch tall, 180-pound Jenkins is Black and has been arrested 30 times since 2013 including 14 times for burglary, plus, multiple times for domestic violence, drugs and gun charges; the six-foot tall, 190-pound Rabon is Black and has a history of 11 arrests since 2016 including multiple times for burglary and petty theft, as well as gun charges; the five-foot, seven-inch tall, 195-pound Burrell is Black and has been arrested nine times since 2014 including for carjacking, burglary and multiple gun and ammunition charges; the six-foot, one-inch tall, 190-pound Garnett is Black and has been arrested six times since 2015 including multiple times for burglary as well as for DUI, gun and drug charges; the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 260-pound Hutchinson is Black and has been arrested three times including once for being an addict in possession of a firearm; Joseph is Black and has three arrests including one for burglary; and the five-foot, five inch tall, 135-pound Smith-Stewart is Black and has been arrested once on April 29, 2024, but no details were available. Information about Garcia was requested. Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Further Information:
Case No. 23-cr-00191-AMO
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.