Crime & Safety

Former Long Beach Officer Scheduled to Enter Plea

Yvonne Robinson is accused of feeding information to a local gang through a relative.

A former Long Beach police officer accused of feeding information to the city's Baby Insane Crips street gang through a relative is due in court today to enter a plea, prosecutors said.

Yvonne Robinson, 42, faces one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, along with a gang allegation, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

Prentice Jones, the 24-year-old brother of Robinson's brother-in-law and allegedly an "active member" of the Baby Insane Crips, faces the same charge, prosecutors said.

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Both Robinson and Jones were arrested and charged in December and  are scheduled to be arraigned this morning. If convicted, they each face up to six years in state prison.

Robinson spent 13 years with the Long Beach Police Department, most recently as a detective in the investigation bureau's juvenile section. She allegedly conspired with Jones "to obstruct several investigations," including a homicide case.

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Long Beach police say their inquiry began about two months before a June 2012 sting on the Baby Insane Crips regarding a series of shootings and the 2009 killing of 19-year-old Frank Castro Jr., the Los Angeles Times reported. Sixteen alleged gang members were arrested in that bust, among them two suspects in the Castro slaying, police said, according to The Times.

During the homicide investigation, detectives learned someone in the gang was being provided with details of the case to aid the suspects involved, Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell has said, and a full-scale criminal investigation was launched.

Robinson was placed under surveillance during the investigation, police said. After several months, investigators had enough evidence to allege she was using her position as a detective to review police reports and provide information to Jones, who then passed it on to gang leaders, according to The Times.

A felony complaint details 21 encounters involving Robinson and Jones beginning March 26, 2012.

-- City News Service


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