Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging nine people in a string of armed burglaries at an Oakland marijuana grow facility that ended with the fatal shooting of undercover Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le. The filing connects three break-ins on the same night in late December 2023 to the ambush that killed Le, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The federal case adds another layer onto an investigation that has already produced arrests and county-level prosecutions.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a federal grand jury returned the indictment on Nov. 20, and it was unsealed yesterday. The nine defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and other drug and firearm offenses. The filing names Allen Brown, Sebron Russell, Marquise Cooper, Janiero Booth (aka Javon Herrington), Jowaun Jones, Shawn McGee, Salvador Munguia, Jasmine Kumar and Felicia Sanders, and alleges the group stole more than 100 marijuana plants from the Oakland facility.
Timeline from the indictment
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, prosecutors say the crew hit 499 Embarcadero, Unit B three times between late Dec. 28 and early Dec. 29, 2023. They allegedly returned to the site multiple times that night, reportedly hauling product to Tracy between trips. The indictment sketches out a long overnight operation that culminated in a third attempted burglary in the early morning hours.
How officers were ambushed
CBS San Francisco reports that undercover officers, including Le, rolled into the lot around 4:33 a.m. in plainclothes, driving an unmarked truck as suspects were fleeing. Prosecutors allege one co-conspirator pointed a pistol at the officers' vehicle, and another person in a black Infiniti fired more than 20 rounds at the truck, hitting Le in the head. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Federal charges and potential penalties
The indictment includes counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, possession and attempted possession with intent to distribute more than 100 plants, and firearm charges that include discharging a weapon during a drug trafficking crime, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Two defendants are accused of acting as accessories after the fact. Possible federal penalties range from five years to life in prison.
Court proceedings and local backdrop
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that all nine defendants were either arrested on Wednesday or were already in custody, and have now made their first appearances in federal court in San Francisco. Some are scheduled for bail hearings later this month. The federal case runs parallel to Alameda County prosecutions, where several defendants have faced murder and burglary counts tied to Le's death, while other charges against some suspects have been dropped or revised.
What comes next
CBS San Francisco notes that federal prosecutors worked with local and federal partners on the investigation, and the case will now move through federal court, where the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. Family, colleagues and community members have continued to honor Le since his death, and the newly unsealed indictment is bringing renewed attention to grow-house burglaries and the dangers those investigations can pose for undercover officers.
