RIVERSIDE, California – On June 4th, 2024, a federal court sentenced a man from San Bernardino to over 15 years in prison after he orchestrated a drug transaction that tragically ended in the shooting death of a 21-year-old.
20-year-old Dillion Jones received a 186-month prison term from U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, who additionally mandated that Jones pay $14,342 in restitution.
In March 2023, Jones admitted guilt to multiple charges including conspiracy to commit robbery affecting interstate commerce, robbery affecting interstate commerce (under the Hobbs Act), using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a stolen firearm.
Other defendants in the case included Rontrell Brainell Shaw, 22, from San Bernardino, the driver during the robbery, who was previously sentenced to 14 years, and Martrell Patrick Shaw, 20, also from San Bernardino, involved in the actual robbery, who received a 20-year sentence.
“The defendant displayed a complete disregard for human life, culminating in a tragic loss and leaving a family in mourning,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Such violent acts are unacceptable in our community, and today’s sentence reinforces our resolve to combat violent gun crimes.”
“Our commitment to community safety is unwavering as we continue to apprehend and prosecute violent offenders,” remarked Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Medina of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division. “We are dedicated to working closely with local law enforcement to reduce violent crime in our communities.”
In July 2021, Jones and two accomplices devised a plan to rob a drug seller, having arranged to purchase a pound of marijuana without the funds to pay for it. The robbery was carried out at the supposed location of the drug deal in San Bernardino County, where the victim was fatally shot during the encounter.
The robbery was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the San Bernardino Police Department, highlighting a coordinated effort to clamp down on violent crime.
The Operation Safe Cities initiative prioritizes combating violent crimes perpetrated by a select group of offenders. This strategy aims to increase arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of repeat offenders, thereby enhancing public safety by targeting illegal firearm possession and violent robberies.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter H. Dahlquist from the Riverside Branch Office.
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