First time a DA has gone after and gotten convictions for Antifa members. A lot more information at the link.
So Cal Antifa members all sentenced to prison or jail over 2021 San Diego attack
So Cal Antifa members all sentenced to prison or jail over 2021 San Diego attack
Quote:
Eight convicted rioters were sentenced to varying prison and jail terms last week for their role in a So Cal Antifa attack in southern California in 2021.
The sentencing in San Diego Superior Court on June 28 brought the conclusion to more than three years of investigations, a secret indictment, plea deals, and a dramatic trial. This marks the first time in U.S. history that prosecutors have broken up an Antifa cell with a string of multiple convictions. In fact, all 12 defendants related to the case were convicted.
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On Jan. 9, 2021, cars full of black-clad So Cal Antifa members traveled more than a hundred miles to Pacific Beach armed with weapons and protective gear to confront Trump supporters who had organized a rally. The "direct action" quickly devolved into a riot as masked Antifa members bear-maced and assaulted their targets, including unaware passersby who were on the boardwalk. A dog wearing a "service dog" vest and his walker were among those bear-maced. Prosecutors identified 18 victims in total, these included a woman and teenage schoolboys.
Eleven suspects, about half from Los Angeles County, were indicted in 2022 by a secret grand jury on dozens of felonies including conspiracy to riot, assault and other violent crimes. Alexander Akridge-Jacobs, 33, Jesse Merel Cannon, 33, Joseph Austin Gaskins, 23, Christian Martinez, 25, Samuel Howard "Ruchelle" Ogden, 26, Bryan Rivera, 22, Faraz Martin Talab, 29, Erich Louis Yach, 40, and Luis Francisco Mora, 32, all pleaded guilty before trial.
A 12th co-conspirator, Jonah Abraham Bigel, pleaded guilty in 2021 to assault with a deadly weapon after using a baseball bat during the riot. He was given a suspended prison sentence, which is sometimes offered for cooperation in an investigation. He was not present at trial nor sentencing.
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The DA's Office also declared in a statement: "It's believed that this is the first criminal case in the nation where crimes committed by members of Antifa were brought to justice and held accountable."
