3 Gang Members Plead Guilty In Brazen Beverly Hills Armed Robbery, Shooting
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Two gang members pleaded guilty Wednesday in connection with a brazen, daylight armed robbery for a luxury watch at a Beverly Hills restaurant that resulted in a woman being shot and wounded.
Malik Lamont Powell, 21, and 18-year-old Khai McGhee, aka Cameron Smith, each pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence – all felonies. A third man in the case, 41-year-old Marquise Anthony Gardon, pleaded guilty on Sept. 10 to two of those counts.
The three men, all of whom are documented gang members, scouted Beverly Hills on March 4 for someone to rob, and eventually targeted a man wearing a $500,000 Richard Mille watch as he sat in the outdoor dining area of Il Pastaio restaurant, according to court documents. The victim was held at gunpoint before a struggling for the weapon ensued, and at least two rounds were discharged, one of which hit another diner in the leg, prosecutors said.
Gardon is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29, while sentencing for Powell and McGhee is set for Feb. 14, 2022. Each of them faces up to 20 years in federal prison.