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View Winners → Crime Jul 24, 2023
| Photo courtesy of Tingey Injury Law Firm/Unsplash
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A federal jury Monday found a La Verne woman guilty of federal criminal charges related to her role as a “secretary” to an imprisoned Mexican Mafia shot caller who controlled Latino gangs in Pomona, including facilitating an armed robbery and shooting, as well as distribution of narcotics and extortion.
Kelly Deshannon, 42, was found guilty of one count each of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act, committing a violent crime in support of racketeering activity, or VICAR, and using a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu scheduled an Oct. 26 sentencing hearing, at which time Deshannon will face between seven and 20 years in federal prison.
Evidence presented at a five-day trial in downtown Los Angeles showed Deshannon served as a secretary to Seferino Gonzalez, an imprisoned shot caller of the Michael Lerma cell of the Mexican Mafia. From prison, Gonzalez exerted control over Latino gangs, including overseeing drug trafficking and other offenses committed in Pomona.
As a secretary in a Mexican Mafia cell, Deshannon helped facilitate an attempted armed robbery of car keys to a Mercedes-Benz SUV on July 14, 2013, which resulted in the shooting of a victim. Deshannon knew the victims’ address, that the victims had access to the car keys, and she had spoken to the victims.
On the night of the shooting, Deshannon brought the shooter and other defendants with her to the victims’ address and pointed out a victim to her accomplices. The victim, though wounded, survived the attack.
Deshannon’s other criminal conduct included broking drug sales and collecting extortionate taxes in Lerma Cell territory, evidence showed.
Lerma, who is the case’s lead defendant, was indicted in 2018 and has pleaded not guilty to RICO conspiracy and multiple other federal charges. His trial is scheduled for July 2024. He is in federal custody.
At the conclusion of a 10-day trial in March, a federal jury found Deshannon not guilty of attempted carjacking and deadlocked on four other counts. At the request of federal prosecutors, Wu last month dismissed one VICAR count against Deshannon.
