Oakland ‘Ghost Town’ gang members fined $1M for burglarizing several businesses
(KRON) — Four East Bay residents, all of whom were part of an Oakland “Ghost Town” street gang, were arrested and fined $1 million total for burglarizing several businesses in 2022, U.S. District Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey said on Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Jakari Jenkins, Demarco Barnett, Garland Rabon, and Keanna Smith-Stewart collaborated with each other and other members of the street gang to rob four Bay Area businesses in less than a year, prosecutors said.
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#1) Coin & stamp store
The first robbery involved Barnett and Jenkins, who, along with other members of the Ghost Town gang, robbed a coin and stamp store located on the tenth floor of a building in the SoMa neighborhood in San Francisco.
Barnett and Jenkins allegedly rented a car to be used as a gateway car. The gang members used a stolen license plate to cover the rental car’s license plate, prosecutors said.
On March 18, 2022, Barnett, Jenkins, and “at least” two additional unnamed gang members entered the store with firearms and demanded money from the owner and his son.
The robbers “struck the head and zip-tied the owner’s son,” then took cash, jewelry, and coins, having a cumulative value of more than $300,000, prosecutors said.
#2) Jewelry store
The following robbery occurred approximately eight months after the first, but instead of a coin and stamp store, members of the Ghost Town gang robbed a jewelry store in San Pablo.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jenkins, Barnett, and Rabon arrived at the jewelry store on November 12, 2022, with “at least four other co-conspirators.”
The robbers arrived in two Dodge Charger getaway cars bearing stolen license plates. Five gang members, three of whom were armed, entered the store while two others waited in the Chargers, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at “approximately $300,000 and $500,000.” Later, all four defendants were described as wearing the stolen jewelry, sharing it with other Ghost Town gang members or otherwise selling it.
#3) Audi dealership
Approximately 12 days after burglarizing the jewelry store, members of the Ghost Town gang burglarized an Audi dealership in Oakland.
Two days before the robbery, Smith-Stewart allegedly purchased a black Audi S5 from the dealership using a fake driver’s license and another person’s social security number.
After providing a $9,500 down payment for the Audi S5, Jenkins, Barett, and another unnamed gang member burglarized the dealership and stole the safe containing Smith-Stewart’s down payment, prosecutors said.
#4) Marijuana business
Approximately a month later, on Christmas Eve, the final burglary occurred in an Oakland marijuana business.
Prosecutors said Jenkins, Banett, Rabon, and Steward drove to the business in two getaway cars.
The four approached a worker as he was leaving the business, pointed a weapon toward him, and forced the worker to let them inside the business, demanding “budded weed” and money.
One of the robbers hit the worker in the head with their gun and searched the worker’s pockets before stealing his debit card, prosecutors said.
Robbers then left the business with the victim’s debit card and “several plant trimmings.”
Two days after the robbery, Smith-Stewart allegedly used the victim’s debit card at Westfield Mall in San Francisco to purchase more than $1,000 worth of items at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.
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Moving forward
Each gang member was fined $250,000 and charged with conspiracy to engage in robbery affecting interstate commerce and access device fraud.
All were charged with robbery and aiding and abetting robbery. Jenkins and Barnett were charged with three counts, whereas Rabon was charged with two and Smith-Stewart with one count.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the police departments of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Pablo.
Jenkins and Barnett are in custody and are scheduled to make their next court appearance on July 15 in Oakland. Defendants Rabon and Smith-Stewart are in custody and scheduled to appear on May 1.
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