"The robberies occurred in 2022, reaping close to $1 million in cash, jewels and other valuables. The year was capped off by a surprise birthday party for one of the crew members in December 2022, where the defendants flaunted stolen jewelry for a video camera and talked about their newfound riches. Video of the party was later seized by prosecutors and used as evidence to argue for lengthy prison sentences."
"In court, prosecutors argued that Rabon was a longtime, dedicated member of the Ghost Town gang a violent group that has existed in West Oakland for decades and that he committed his crimes while serving as a youth mentor through a program funded by the city of Oakland. The defense argued that he expressed true remorse and that his crimes were mistakes caused by a lifetime of trauma and drug addiction."
"Throughout the year and half my case was pending, I spent more time with my kids than I ever had before, and attended drug and mental counseling for the first time in my life, Rabon wrote. I am a changed person and never want to return to the life I previously lived. The tragedies Rabon endured include the loss of his 17-year-old brother, Deshawn Rabon, who was killed when a car he was riding in collided with a funeral home in 2015. A defense sentencing memo includes a picture where Garland Rabon poses alongside Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, holding up two certificate"
Garland Rabon, 30, was sentenced Dec. 15 by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin to six years and three months in federal prison for his role as the getaway driver in a 2022 robbery spree that yielded nearly $1 million in cash, jewels and valuables. The judge allowed Rabon to remain free until May 2026 to spend the holidays with family. Prosecutors said Rabon was a longtime Ghost Town gang member who committed crimes while serving as a city-funded youth mentor. The defense cited remorse, trauma, addiction, and recent counseling and family involvement as mitigating factors.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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