Four take deals for murders: Prosecutors secure convictions in complex Sunny Day gang case

Just as the trial against four East Palo Alto men was beginning, each decided to take a plea deal for crimes spanning September 2012 through December 2013, according to prosecutors.

The men — Raymond Louis Bradford, Roberto Gabriel Bustos-Montes, Eric Valencia Vargas and Emmanuel Imani Hyland — were facing life in prison without the possibility of parole before collectively pleading to killing three rivals and attempting or conspiring to murder three others, said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher.

Friday’s convictions covered some of the most serious charges in the Sunny Day case and brings the total to 11 defendants who’ve avoided trial by taking a plea, Gallagher said.

“These defendants, both the ones who pleaded and the others who’ve been indicted, we believe were responsible for an incredible amount of violence unleashed in East Palo Alto and San Mateo County and beyond,” Gallagher said, adding crime rates have diminished since the gangmembers have been behind bars. “It’s a reminder of just how much violence and chaos a relatively small number of people can inflict on a community. We hope this sends a signal that we are after these people aggressively with all the resources of government we can bring.”

Bradford, 31, appeared in court and was sentenced Friday to 80 years to life in state prison. He was convicted of two first degree murders, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, according to prosecutors.

Bustos-Montes, 27, pleaded to two first degree murder charges, and attempted murder in exchange for 60 years to life.

Vargas, 20, agreed to 60 years to life in exchange for pleading to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, reckless driving and resisting a police officer with violence.

Hyland, 28, pleaded to two murders as part of a deal in which he will see 25 years to life behind bars, according to prosecutors.

Defense attorneys for the men did not return calls for comment.

While not wanting to speculate as to why the four approached the District Attorney’s Office asking to plea, Gallagher noted the prosecution’s case was extremely strong.

In 2015, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe opted not to seek the death penalty against any of the Sunny Day defendants, however, the four men were facing life without parole. Gallagher agreed that sentence may include longer periods in maximum security prison and, ultimately even with the plea deals, the gangmembers will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

The crimes reportedly began when the Da Vill and Sac Street gangs of East Palo Alto teamed up against the Taliban gang of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. Between 2012 and 2013, the war allegedly included four murders in East Palo Alto and San Francisco, a highway shooting in Belmont, a robbery, witness dissuasion, drug trafficking, bribery, firearms possession and conspiracy.

The Sunny Day indictments came after an 18-month investigation and a two-month criminal grand jury that was eight times longer than any other ever conducted in San Mateo County.

On Friday, Bradford, Bustos-Montes and Vargas pleaded to the Oct. 7, 2012, shooting death of Stoney Gipson in San Francisco. Bradford and Bustos-Montes also pleaded to the attempted murder of Dwayne Henry, who was a passenger in the car when Gipson was shot.

In that case, all four defendants are believed to have traveled from East Palo Alto to San Francisco to track the rival gangmembers in two cars, including Vargas’ vehicle that was caught on video during the shooting. Hyland’s car was reportedly elsewhere in the city and he wasn’t convicted in that murder as part of his plea. Casings from three separate guns were found at the scene, Gallagher said.

Hyland and Bradford pleaded to murdering Jonathan Alcazar in East Palo Alto Jan. 14, 2013. Bustos-Montes and Hyland admitted to the Jan. 26, 2013, murder of Lamont Coleman in East Palo Alto, according to prosecutors.

Bradford and Vargas pleaded to conspiracy to commit murder for the September 2012 shooting of Chariece Chew, an incident that kicked off the Sunny Day crime spree. The duo, along with defendant Marvin Jake Ware, shot at Chew’s car hitting him and another passenger on Highway 101 in Belmont. Vargas on Friday also pleaded to attempting to murder Marquise Brock, according to prosecutors.

The investigation into the crimes earned its name “Operation Sunny Day,” in reference to the code phrase used by the gangmembers to indicate a murder had been completed.

While Friday’s plea deals close one chapter on the Sunny Day case, there is still one outstanding murder trial expected to begin in July. In that case, Jerry Coneal and Miguel Angel Rivera Jr. are accused of murdering 21-year-old Christopher Baker in East Palo Alto Oct. 5, 2012, according to prosecutors.

The cases against Ware, Tyrone Love-Lopez, and Nina Mehrnoosh Cragg are ongoing as well, Gallagher said.

Other Sunny Day defendants who have approached the District Attorney’s Office and settled their case with plea deals include Ralph Vernon Fields Jr., Donte Demon Jordan, Roshawn Bickham, LaQuisha Walker, Leonard James Gaines, Rodney Levence Mitchell and Robert Wheller Jr. At the time of their 2014 grand jury indictments, all 16 defendants ranged in ages 19 to 28.

“I don’t think there’s been a more complex case in San Mateo County history, just for the sheer number of defendants, the scope of the indictments, the number of crimes that were contained in the investigations, the resources that went into it both on the ground investigations, cellphone wiretaps, grand jury [indictments],” Gallagher said, adding Friday’s “convictions assure the public that violent criminals are going to be off the streets for a very, very long time.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106