A Hawthorne man was sentenced to a quarter century in federal prison for helming a crew during 12 armed robberies in Los Angeles County in 2023.
The six-week stickup spree targeted businesses, mostly chain-store pharmacies, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Victims included Rite Aid stores in Long Beach, Bellflower, North Hollywood, Whittier and South Los Angeles; Walgreens stores in Pasadena, Lakewood, Monterey Park and Glendale; and Wingstop restaurants in Lynwood and Whittier.
In 11 of those robberies, 23-year-old ringleader Makai Yusef Sanders, aka “Muk Muk,” took part, “personally victimiz[ing] countless employees and customers in armed robberies of nine pharmacies and two…restaurants,” the release explained.
In one robbery, Sanders “[held] a victim by the neck and [dragged] him around the store, while brandishing a handgun in his other hand,” prosecutors said.
Sanders pleaded guilty in November to interference with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
In addition to his 25-year sentence, Sanders was ordered to pay more than $48,000 in restitution.
His charges, guilty plea and sentence match that of his fellow ringleader, another 23-year-old from Hawthorne named Kenyatta Kamar Jones, aka “Yatta.”
Multiple co-defendants have also pleaded guilty or are facing charges in the coming months.
Diavion Deshawna Mouton of Carson and Rodney Darrin Maxwell Evans of South Los Angeles, both 23 years old, were convicted in December of two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Prosecutors say the pair participated in two of the armed robberies, and they’re scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.
Another robber, 24-year-old Adrian Timothy Bedran of Rosemead, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, 2025.
DeAngel Daryl Alvarez, a 23-year-old from the Athens area of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Feb. 24 and will be sentenced on July 2.
Kevin Antwon Gadley, 21, is scheduled to stand trial on June 24. Gadley, a San Fernando resident who is also known as “One Shot,” faces charges of interference with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
