On top of state murder charges in the killing of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le, federal prosecutors have now filed conspiracy charges against nine individuals in connection with the multiple marijuana thefts that preceded the fatal shooting.
Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le was fatally shot in a barrage of gunfire in late December 2023, while sitting inside an unmarked pickup truck with another plainclothed officer, outside the Peakz cannabis growing operation at Embarcadero and Ninth Avenue in Oakland.
Four men were arrested shortly after the killing and charged with Le's murder: Marquise Cooper, Mark Demetrious Sanders, Allen Brown, and Sebron Russell. Cooper had state charges against him dropped last year, but now he, Brown, and Russell have been charged in federal court with conspiring to distribute, possessing with intent to distribute, and attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 marijuana plants.
Sanders, who investigators believe was the one to pull the trigger and fire 20 shots, was not among those federally indicted on these same charges — his case appears to be getting handled separately, and he's referred to as "unnamed co-conspirator" by the feds.
According to a release from the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, Brown and Russell also faces firearm charges tied to drug trafficking. And Sanders's mother and girlfriend, Felicia Sanders and Jasmine Kumar, are both being federally charged as accessories after the fact.
The federal indictment, unsealed Thursday, further charges four other individuals with the same conspiracy: Janiero Booth — aka Javon Herrington — Jowaun Jones, Shawn McGee, and Salvador Munguia.
According to the indictment, Sanders, Cooper, Brown, and Russell committed two burglaries of marijuana plants from the grow facility the night of December 28, 2023 and the morning of December 29. Booth, Jones, McGee, and Munguia were then recruited to help with the third attempt around 4 am, at which time multiple police officers descended on the place, and the shooting occurred.
A total of 100 marijuana plants were allegedly taken.
Prosecutors say that Felicia Sanders and Kumar, knowing what had happened, helped Mark Sanders hide from authorities and gave him a one-way plane ticket out of town. Felicia Sanders was previously arrested in the state case.
All nine individuals were either in custody already or were arrested Wednesday, and some are scheduled to make court appearances on Monday in federal court in San Francisco.
The state murder case is proceeding as well, and it's unclear if Sanders may also face federal charges.
Photo via Getty Images
