Local News in Brief : Gang Members Convicted
A federal jury has convicted three members of a Los Angeles street gang on drug and weapons charges stemming from cocaine trafficking in Tacoma, Wash.
Jurors in the Seattle trial were not told the defendants were members of the “Eight-Trey Crips” gang, however, because U.S. District Judge John Coughenour ruled that the prejudicial nature of the information outweighed its value as evidence.
Convicted were Kenneth Ray Barnes, 19, Rene Antoine Guy, 23, and Santa (Cynthia) Phillips, 26, all of Los Angeles.
They were found guilty on one count each of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The defendants were accused of setting up crack-house operations last year in an apartment and motel in Tacoma, near the Ft. Lewis Army base.
Investigators seized nearly 900 grams of cocaine during the investigation, as well as the shotgun, $5,680 in cash, a small safe, drug paraphernalia, business records and telephone beepers commonly used by drug traffickers.
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