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Convicted murderer ordered to serve life in prison
Lewis' attorney will appeal verdicts in Black Mafia case
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More from County NewsThe alleged shot-caller of the Oxnard-based Black Mafia criminal street gang was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Last month, it took a jury less than three hours to find John "Rocky" Lewis guilty of first-degree murder for his role in the 2006 death of 29-year-old Fred Williams of Oxnard.
Lewis, 33, a former Oxnard resident, was convicted of hiring fellow gang member Bakari Pitts to kill Williams, who also was a Black Mafia member.
Pitts testified that Lewis paid him $5,000 and some marijuana for killing Williams. He was shot execution-style in the Somis area on May 12, 2006.
Before being sentenced, Lewis, who was dressed in blue and orange jail garb, addressed the court. He expressed his "condolences" to the victim's family members who were in the courtroom.
He told the judge that he was innocent and accused the district attorney of "bamboozling" the jury to get him convicted.
"They know I had nothing to do with this," Lewis told the court. He said he isn't an "angel" but also isn't the "devil" as prosecutors tried to portray him during his trial, he said.
Ventura County Superior Court Judge James Cloninger told Lewis that there was a "great deal of credible evidence" given to jurors to convict him.
"They didn't do this because they were bamboozled," the judge said. "You were fairly tried and fairly convicted, sir."
The judge denied a motion by Lewis' lawyer, Steven Powell, for a new trial and ordered Lewis to pay more than $10,000 as restitution.
Powell said in an interview that the verdicts will be appealed. The jury found true all of the special circumstances and allegations against Lewis: that he was a principal participant in an offense committed with a firearm, that the murder was for financial gain and that it was done to benefit a street gang, the Black Mafia.
While in court, Williams' relatives made no victim-impact statements.
Outside the courtroom, Williams' mother, Jo Helen Williams, said: "This guy had my son cold-bloodedly murdered for no good reasons. Today is one of the best days I've had since this happened two years ago."
She expressed gratitude to prosecutor Cheryl Temple along with the detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.
Williams dismissed Lewis' courtroom comments, saying she didn't give them any weight.
Lewis testified during his trial and denied any involvement in Williams' shooting.
During the sentencing, Temple said Lewis acted in a "cowardly" way and got someone else to pull the trigger.
She said Lewis proved to be "an incredibly untruthful witness" on the stand during his trial.
Posted by Ms_California on June 3, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He's lucky!
Posted by Ms_California on June 3, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He's lucky!
Posted by Lifes_Optimist on June 3, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe Mr. Lewis has a GREAT chance at the verdict being overturned. I have followed this case and it seems that all evidence presented had nothing directly to do with him. It also seems that he was "tried and convicted" for the incident that occured years ago with his stepfather, not for the crime of Mr. Williams. The jury may in fact have been bamboozled and I wish Mr. Lewis all the luck with his appeal. There are thousands of innocent "life" termers that have wrongly been convicted due to victimized families and society wanting justice no matter what or at whos expense. My heart goes out the the victim's family of course, but what about Mr. Lewis' family? Where's the justice for their lost? In reality, this conviction just means a lifetime monthly check to whatever penitentiary Mr. Lewis will be caged. PEACE
Posted by oxnard40 on June 3, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You mean the crime of killing his stepfather? What about the Bell family and those victims?
Posted by readerone1 on June 3, 2008 at 4:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
HELLO, They did say he was member of the Black Mafia and not a school teacher!! Leave him rot, even unjustly, he's no innocent man being apart of that. Better in jail, then on our streets. Think of the real innocent one's who's life may be spared.
Posted by CatInAHat on June 3, 2008 at 8:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bye shot caller, enjoy Corcoran.
Posted by lilmamma on June 5, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My heart goes out to the children of Fred Williams because they will never know their father. Rocky you should have stayed away from crime and the streets after you got off with shooting your step father. Your poor grandma will be grieving you and your mother together. You should be ashamed of yourself and your actions. Your actions have and will a lasting impact on alot of people while you rott in jail at taxpayers expense.
Posted by back_n_cali on June 9, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just a sad, sad, situation regardless of how anyone wants to look at it. Judgement is not for us it is for the one above.
People do things for reasons beyond our comprehension and some people are accused of things for reasons beyond our comprehension. Friends and family members of each and every person involved in this trial are at a loss.
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