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Leader's conviction seen as a blow to Black Mafia
Street gang less of a threat, prosecutor says
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More from Local NewsThe murder conviction of John "Rocky" Lewis this month crushed the leadership of a violent and dangerous criminal street gang that began on the streets of Oxnard, prosecutors say.
Lewis, 33, a former resident of Oxnard who moved to Los Angeles about five years ago, was the Black Mafia's shot caller, authorities said.
His group formed less than 20 years ago when Lewis and some friends were of highschool age, and evolved into a criminal street gang that he ran from his Los Angeles tattoo shop, according to prosecutors.
"We certainly think that we delivered a blow to the leadership of the Black Mafia," said veteran prosecutor Cheryl Temple of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
"We have seriously undermined the ability of the Black Mafia to carry out crimes in our county and elsewhere, frankly," Temple said. "This prosecution has made other communities safer, not just Ventura (County)."
A jury took less than three hours Friday to convict Lewis of hiring fellow gang member Bakari Pitts to kill a third Black Mafia member, Fred Williams, on May 12, 2006, in the Somis area.
Williams, 29, of Oxnard was shot execution-style. Pitts' cousin, Marlon Thornton, who was not a gang member, drove the getaway car. During the trial, Pitts and Thornton testified about their roles in the killing.
Temple said the Black Mafia has been involved in other murders, including the 2005 deaths of Bruce Barksdale, Davaun Dantaye Washington and Olee Evans. All three men were killed in Oxnard.
Last month, Lewis Brown was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting of Barksdale.
In February, Jimmy Hunter was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the slaying of Washington and Evans.
Temple called the gang "extremely dangerous," so much so that Ventura County Sheriff's Department detectives scrapped the idea of trying to infiltrate the group with informants to solve Williams' death.
"Having somebody infiltrate this gang would have been an extremely risky proposition. There had been multiple killings among Black Mafia members over the past several years, some of which were unsolved at the time, and some which we are currently and actively investigating," Temple said.
Attempts to get people to help in the investigation and make telephone calls to Black Mafia members were falling flat because people were afraid of getting involved, Temple said.
"This is a dangerous group of people," she said.
However, within five days after Williams was found dead inside his parked car with a bullet to the head, detectives armed with court-ordered wiretaps began listening to conversations generated from seven different phone lines. The seven lines soon became 13 telephone lines. In all, more than 31,000 conversations were monitored.
"It was very time consuming and expensive," Temple said.
A spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, Capt. Ross Bonfiglio, said the department paid the main investigators and additional officers about $350,000 in overtime to investigate the case. That amounted to about 5,700 overtime hours, he said.
"This case needed this kind of attention in order to get it prosecuted properly," Bonfiglio said.
Sheriff's Detectives Mike Powers and Scott Peterson spearheaded the complex investigation, and District Attorney's Investigator Dennis Peet later joined the team, Temple said.
"They did a tremendous investigation into this case," said Temple.
Lewis' lawyer, Steven Powell, argued in court that the prosecutors' case was based on gossip, rumors and innuendo. Powell described Lewis as a retired gang member, and said Pitts pointed an accusatory finger at Lewis to avoid receiving the death penalty for shooting Williams.
According to prosecutors, the wiretaps resulted in evidence used to solve Williams' slaying and much more. The Black Mafia was involved in a multitude of crimes throughout the state, they said.
"From gun dealing, pimping, drug dealing, all over, not just our county but the state of California, and this (Williams' murder) put this into perspective of who the people were that we were dealing with," Temple said.
Bonfiglio said detectives suspected the gang also committed crimes in Arizona, Orange County, Kern County and the city of Hawthorne.
In one wiretap conversation, Lewis' close friend Kufanya Gentry is heard telling Lewis that a "crew" of young black males was committing crimes for the Black Mafia in Fresno.
"So, they were very much in the business of having young black males get involved in their business" in various communities, Temple said.
She declined to say if there are ongoing investigations against other Black Mafia members.
She said that in the eyes of other gang members, Lewis had everything: money, motorcycles, a Cadillac, a nice house and plenty of women. The prosecutor said many of his followers idolized him and sometimes referred to the large, heavyset, bald man as the "Big Homie."
"The gang members who wanted to move up, who wanted to be respected, wanted to be like him. They were trying to impress him," said Temple. "When he wanted them to (commit crimes) they would respond. ... So they did look up to him. They admired his lifestyle."
Posted by newshound on May 6, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Crime committed by young African Americans didn't start with John Lewis and it won't end with the incarceration of John Lewis. As long as economic and social injustice continue, those born into poverty and families without fathers will keep pursuing non-legal means to take from a society that they have no investment in.
Law enforcement clearly used some sophisticated means to catch Lewis. Lewis himself didn't seem to operate in a sophisticated manner. He just had the will to tell a kid or a group of youngsters to go out and break the law. Does anyone really believe that the shoes of someone like this cannot or will not be quickly filled by another "John Lewis" immediately?
It took $350,000 in overtime and 5700 total man house to catch Lewis and a bunch of gangsters who were unsophisticated enough to talk on telephones. Imagine the outcome if society invested say just 3000 hours of professional people working with those same young African American kids after school. Instead of society paying to send them to prison at a cost of $50,000 per year for the rest of their lives, they might be converted into productive citizens who pay taxes and stay out of trouble. The content of this article is nothing to celebrate about. It's a tragedy. It's a sign of a failed society that leaves an entire class of people behind.
Posted by sokol_kiev on May 6, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Newshound, you can't be serious with your comments, can you?
["As long as economic and social injustice continue, those born into poverty and families without fathers will keep pursuing non-legal means to take from a society that they have no investment in."] Way to pass the blame. Way to not promote personal accountability and responsbility. What about all those who were born into poverty and in families without fathers who actually took it upon themselves to make something of their adult lives through studying hard in school and through hard work? Ones economic background has nothing to do with whether you succeed in life. It's all about having integrity and getting out there and being personally responsibile for making your life a success.
["It's a sign of a failed society that leaves an entire class of people behind."] That's a cop-out and complete pathetic untrue excuse for being lazy and going through life feeling that the government or society owes you something. They don't! Society did not fail John "Rocky" Lewis. Lewis failed society beginning 20 years ago when he decided to not be a positive societal contributor and instead choose to take what he wants through illegal and criminal methods.
Posted by bbofvta on May 6, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Newshound, you are taking the easy way out on this one. Why is it everyone else who should be blamed for the pathetic life that Lewis sought?
Why didn't his mother, or father if known, put in the hours that the detectives did? According to you, that might have made Lewis a productive member of society. I did not see any mention of his parents being at the trial, or of their involvement in his life at any stage. If they were not willing to raise their own, why should it fall to me to do it?
Too many want to blame society for the gangs. All of these kids are given the same chance at education, the same books, written in the same English language. Why do some just decide it is easier to hang with losers?
What percentage of NBA, NFL or MLB players are black, and had a crummy childhood? They did something positive to pull out of the skid there family provided (Michael Vick, et al excepted)and develop a skill to provide for their future. Lewis could have done that.
Posted by oxnard40 on May 6, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is this the same Rocky Lewis that shot and killed his step-father back in the early 90's?
Posted by mantiger808 on May 6, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that some people, regardless of race or color, intelligently make a choice to commit crimes to support themselves. This type of antisocial behavior cannot be corrected by education, or counseling, or mentoring. As John Lewis proved, you can accumulate material wealth at the expense of other's lives by chosing a life of crime. This is not a reflection of failed parenting or economic/social injustice.
That being said, I do agree with newshound to an extent. There is a saying, "It takes a village to raise a child". There is much more that we as a society can do to provide hope, and a chance at success in life for all of our children. Unfortunately all children are not given the same chance at education, with the same books, and resources. Economic status does allow for the financially elite to provide a much better educational environment for their children. Why do you think so many people send their children to private schools that encourage kids to think about their futures at a very young age, and prepares them for college. Not only that, but these schools help kids to develop the natural talents within themselves, like art, music, literature, public speaking...ect. These type of programs help develop confidence in children at a very early age. We certainly can start by bringing our public school system up to par.
bbofvta, I find it ironic that you use the example of sports success as an alternative for young black people, as if this is the only other alternative for them. That, my friend, is an ignorant statement. It is this type stereotype that is part of the problem in our society. Only about two percent of high school or college athletes are actually good enough to play pro sports.
I guess my point is...John Lewis is a "not unintelligent man" who made a choice to lead a life of crime, and was successful at it for a period of time. However, there is much more we can do as a society to encourage young people of all races and colors to develop personal interests and set goals for themselves...and achieve these goals. Just my $.02.
Posted by richardg on May 6, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You all have points, but not all people have the ability to learn like other people!
It is hard to come out of a lifestyle of poverty.
It hard going to school with kids who dont have to worry about anything.
Its hard when you dont have the money to wash cloths for school.
Its hard when you dont have money for a drink at school.
Its hard to pretend everything is cool... ect.
I mean sometimes you feel hopeless, so and then its like...
"Why take life so serious, if its not permanent?"
Posted by Accipe_hoc on May 6, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
richardg...your comment is just another cop out.
You take what could be a valid argument and reduce it to what every cookie-cutter liberal has been brainwashed to believe (not saying that you are a liberal, just that the way of thinking has saturated our society).
It doesn't take alot of money to wash your clothes. Put them in a sink of warm water with a little bit of soap and hang them outside to dry...Don't buy a drink at school, take tap water in a plastic bottle that you can buy at a 99 cent store...and use it over and over.
Poverty is a relative term. Having a huge expensive Plasma TV in the living room, but no food in the fridge is not poverty, its being irresponsible. Not being able to buy Air Jordans is not poverty...etc..etc..
The problem with gangs has nothing to do with poverty anymore (if it ever did). It has to do with a chosen value system. Gang members are not forced to be gang members, they choose and enjoy the lifestyle. Very few realize that they made the wrong choice and change their lives. Most do not, and pass the value system to their children and other young impressionable people who look up to them.
The government will never be able to solve the gang problem, regardless of how much money is spent (I know that's hard to believe because throwing money at any and all problems should instantly solve them).
The solution lies with the people who live in gang neighborhoods. But until the leaders of those communities stop making excuses for gang memebership nothing is going to change.
Posted by oxnard40 on May 6, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What's with the Obama-esque comments on race? A bad man is locked up for life. Law Enforcement did good. As a community, we are now safer with Lewis behind bars. Black, white, hispanic, or asian, a person that hurt others will no longer be able to hurt people outside the penatentary walls.
Posted by high_society on May 6, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I just want to say good riddance!
It's unfortunate that people are making excuses for this guy. Lots of people were born into poverty, it really does depend on the parents.
Oprah was brought up dirt poor, but her grandmother who raised her taught her the value of education. Who's laughing now all the way to the bank? It would be surprising to see what happened to Oprah's neighbors who didn't think the same way.
It is sad that our tax money has to be used so much because parents have children they can't mind, but if it stopped this murderer from committing another crime where anyone of us could have been caught in the crossfire, then it was worth it.
Hope you have fun rotting, Lewis!
Posted by sslocal on May 6, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
$350,000 > 5,700 hours = $61.40 per hour. Them's good wages.
Posted by oxnardraised on May 6, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes it is the same John Lewis who killed his stepfather in the 90's. He killed him thinking he had something to do with his missing mother who was later found dead of a suicide. How can anyone say that John Lewis failed society or society failed him? The way I see it is as a grown adult dealing with other grown adults the only person John Lewis failed is himself. That's if he feels that he has failed himself. After reading all the articles connected to this story none of the persons involved in this case were children and none of them were innocent right down to the victim himself. Every person involved in this killing were involved in this gang and i'm sure as everyone even people that are not in gangs know the dangers of joining a gang. I as part of this society do not feel as though I was failed by John Lewis nor do I think that I failed him in any way since I never encountered him or really ever thought that the black mafia was a threat to me as a resident of Oxnard. If the conviction of the leader of this gang has hurt it as much as they say it has then maybe the remaining members were mearly a bunch of followers. The only people I feel have been hurt by all this is the family of the victim and yes, the family of the convicted. May God Bless them all!!
Posted by lilmamma on May 6, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This case is another example of Black on Black crime. Life is about making choices and being responsible. These MEN made an ignorant selfish choice and now they will be paying the price for their actions. Rocky's mother did committ suicide in the 90's. His grandmother is still mouring her daughter now she has to be humilitated and embarrassed all over again. Fred Williams left behind children that will never know their father. Its a tragic and sad ending to something that should have never happened.
Posted by oxnard40 on May 6, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lilmamma,
Unfortunatley, Rocky should be the one that feels humilitated and embarrassed.
His grandmother and the kids of Fred are just more innocent victims in this case.
Posted by Think on May 6, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You all have valid points. but fail to realize, when u r the minority everything is hard. Try going to any high school in Oxnard being a black male. The community around you is predominantly Hispanic. You get nothing. You watch your elementary school buddies turn on you because of the uncles and cousins they have coming out of prison. The people that do continue to deal with you get ridiculed and messed with. Better yet the entire society looking at you through a microscope waiting to see u mess up so they can throw the book at you(even your own race). I have no issues with Whites, Hispanics or any other race. I am born n bred out of Oxnard. My family has all of them rolled into one. Yet in Ventura county being black has its set backs. For that matter, being anything but Hispanic in Oxnard has its set backs. Be honest with yourself. If you reside in Oxnard and are not Hispanic. You know, you have it rough. This case was a personal vendetta against John Lewis. If he did what accused of, hey it is what it is... But charge him for this thing here there was no need to make it seem like he was a big time leader of a fake gang. Society will always be the same.It blames, pre-judges, points finger, and cast suspicious eyes at most young black males whether they are involved in criminal activity or not. The thing that gets me is that the population of African Americans in Ventura county is really really low. This was black on black. I really don't understand exactly what part in affecting Ventura county society this crime played. So how sophisticated can this leader of a criminal organization be? He has, no police, no attorney's, no councilman, no support and definitely no numbers.These group of individuals calling themselves the black mafia in Oxnard cant be serious.What in the world can they accomplish without these key things in a criminal organization. Every other so called gang in Oxnard can be seen as better organized than these cats. That is just my opinion. So why doesn't the law enforcement use more money on sexual predators, child pornography, and all the other perverted jerks we have in Ventura county. Check the website i am sure their are more sexual deviants than black mafia members. Not to mention they are in a neighborhood near you. Besides they are a joke look at these cases. With that i rest my case. Please in the future read the paper at your on caution. It can cause temporary ignorance. Honestly these crimes and the punishment was nothing more than a comedy spectacle for anyone who wasn't black. Wake up!!!!!
Posted by Face on May 6, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, blacks do not get a pass on heinous murders just because the victim is black. The heinous murder of anyone by anyone is just as important. Justice is color blind.
Posted by oxnard40 on May 6, 2008 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WOW. Well said Think.
I am also born and raised in oxnard.
What Rocky and his BMG thugs were doing was illegal, wrong, and put innocent victims in crimes way.
Should our law enforcement put more emphasis on some of the sexual predators? YES
If they put as much time and money on stoping sexual predators, child pornography, and all the other perverted jerks, as they did in this case.
Then I do agree with you in the fact we will have a better society.
Posted by jw1000 on May 6, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gas Chamber for the Black Mafia. And all the other killer gangs out there.
Posted by sparks240 on May 6, 2008 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
John Lewis killed a fellow gang member. Give him a prize for killing another worthless punk, then execute him for being a worthless punk.
Posted by Think on May 6, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Face, get over it. Excuse the crimes, no! But did it affect you? No i think not. So let it be. obviously you did not git the meaning of what has happen and will always happen in a society where you are the minority. As wrong as he is he still did not get judged by his peers. that would have been way to brutal.
Posted by Face on May 6, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No murders have affected me personally except the black man I saw hack to death a child and almost a woman in the V.C. So all the others I should give a pass to? I have never heard of anything so lame, it didn't affect me personally so there should be no crime committed here? I have heard a lot of carp in my life, but really, have you no shame?
Posted by oxnardraised on May 6, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Are you serious THINK? Bakari Lewis was allegedly paid $5000 and a pound of weed to kill a man and risk the death penalty! The only reason he isn't facing the death penalty now is because he brought John Lewis down with him! It makes you wonder if another pound of weed he would have taken the blame for his own actions! Please do not blame Oxnard being a predominately latino community on his total disregard for human life and him just being plain ignorant!!
Posted by Camarilloborn on May 6, 2008 at 8:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its amazing how the race card is flying all over the place here. Would it have made any difference if this was a white on white crime? I dont believe it should but I bet that if there were any other race involved other than Hispanic or African American, no one would blame society. Its not our fault. A man killed someone and his race should not make him any more or less innocent. Not to mention his race doesnt help the family of the victim! Knowing he was black, white, purple, or yellow doesnt make it ok becuase "life is hard on them"
I think we should take every gang member in the U.S. and lock them in a large empty bulding. Let them do themselves in.
Posted by oxnardraised on May 6, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OOPS I ment Bakari Pitts!! I agree with you Camarilloborn!!
Posted by Face on May 6, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gang members should be pressed into a special engineering corp. building something, anything. 8 years of hard labor but learning a skill as well. Repeat violent criminals should be dropped into Somalia with a stick and a can of soup. We must cleanse our society, but that would require backbone and guts which our democracy does not have. A pogrom of sorts for the feral humans. There seems to be no benefit in housing and feeding violent criminals. There is no rehabilitation. They rarely if ever are able to function in society after their all too early release. We should remove the bomb from our house instead of playing catch and release. Go back to the days of Cool Hand Luke and make jail/prison a place to be avoided instead of a recreational area.
Posted by rbreton59 on May 7, 2008 at 12:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
These guys are so bad they got them in protective custody for fear of being hurt by the co-ch boys. Some Bad ass african americans.
Posted by Think on May 7, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey guys you r right but once again u r not getting the meaning. Anyways Face, no one should give any of this a pass. Thats not what i am saying. however look at how these group of guys totally destroyed themselves. The others that were killed did not deserve to die like that, but one fact remains they were all GANGMEMBERS HELLO!!!! Live by the sword die by the sword. You keep trying to defend what? Society, the rights of victims who have probably did damage too many other families themselves i don't know where are we going with this. It was wrong the race card has nothing to do with anything. Except there would not be half of these things going on if race truly did not come into play at times. But certainly race is not a crutch. As far as protective custody is concerned that is for fear of knocking one of them senseless and catching a case while already in custody. Remember the numbers well this jail thing is really when it counts. Cuz all races stick together! Every race against the blacks. If you have been to VCJ u know wut i mean. Prison is worst!!!!You r with your own kind.
Posted by West_to_East on May 8, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yo really honestly, this is funny to me. like lets think and focus about this. Maybe you didnt listen to think. Being a young black male in Oxnard aint no joke. u got majority mexicans and philipinos. Were in a category marked as other with islanders. given so Black Mafia is stupid straight up. But whats is the population on that, wow u took a gang apart allegedly because lewis is allegedly the top dog. And you got Colonia Chickens who is the 3 biggest gang in California according to articles. hmmm yea Black Mafia or Colonia Chickens. If you got to think about that you got issues. I give kudos profit to any young black male that makes it through life in Oxnard and makes it out. because just like THINK said you got friends that turn on you because of there familia as they would say and neighborhood. Now what kind of crap is that, your friends from back in the day but then in high school they get pushed into all that bullsht and turn on you. KNOW WHATS ITS LIKE. LET MEXICANS WHITES OR ASAINS GO TO THE SOUTH OR BLACK POPULATED AND MAYBE THEY WILL GET A DIFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THINGS. AND KNOW I AM NOT RACIST, THERE'S ALOT OF DIFFERENT VIEWS IN LIFE.
Posted by 805raised on May 9, 2008 at 10:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
fred is my first cousin,and bakari,rocky,and kufunyun were all childhood friends.. so we thought.with friends like these who needs enemies..i hope you all rott in jail 4 life.lol...ha!ha! stupid muthafuccas....
Posted by back_n_cali on June 9, 2008 at 1:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a little late, but Bakari is my fam, and I grew up with Rocky and Kufunya, I met Fred a little later... and I must agree with Think it was hard to grow up in Oxnard with all of that. I was fortunate (or unfortunate- depending on how you look at it) enough to live in Port Hueneme. It was hard on them growing up in their own individual situations and neighborhoods. On top of all the drama and conflict that was everyday life at Oxnard HS back then. This is not an excuse for what any of them choose to do as adults, but from a phychological stand point it does have something to do with it.
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