A jury in Los Angeles has found Diavion Deshawna Mouton and Rodney Darrin Maxwell Evans guilty of participating in armed robberies that targeted local businesses in August and September 2023. Both were convicted on charges including conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada commented on the impact of such crimes: "Violent gun crime leaves emotional scars that last for years." He highlighted the efforts under the Operation Safe Cities initiative, which aims to prosecute individuals who threaten community safety.
Evidence from the trial revealed that Evans was involved in two armed robberies at Rite Aid stores on August 14, 2023. During these incidents, firearms were used to coerce employees into opening safes, resulting in $12,410 being stolen. The ringleaders behind these acts were identified as Makai Yusef Sanders and Kenyatta Kamar Jones.
Mouton acted as the getaway driver for two robberies on September 19, 2023, targeting a Walgreens store in Glendale and a Wingstop restaurant in Lynwood. In these instances, Sanders and Jones used firearms to steal $1,776. At Walgreens, they also robbed customers at gunpoint.
Following their arrest on September 26, 2023, law enforcement linked them to the crimes through phone records and GPS data. Clothing matching descriptions from one of the robberies was also found.
Sentencing for Evans and Mouton is set for March 31, 2025. They face a mandatory minimum sentence of fourteen years with potential life imprisonment. Sanders and Jones have already pleaded guilty to related charges and agreed to serve 25 years each in federal prison.
Other individuals involved include Adrian Timothy Bedran who awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act robbery. Two additional suspects remain either fugitive or are held on unrelated charges.
The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI and various local police departments across Los Angeles County. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler, Jena A. MacCabe, and Juan M. Rodriguez.