A federal judge in Los Angeles has re-sentenced Derrick Patterson to 87 months in prison after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals kicked his case back for another look. Prosecutors say Patterson used the Grindr dating app to lure men to homes or hotel rooms, then robbed or assaulted them once they were behind closed doors.
According to FBI Los Angeles, Patterson, identified in court records as a Compton resident, was re-sentenced to 87 months after his appeal to the Ninth Circuit. The bureau says the charged conduct ran from roughly November 2019 through April 2022 and that, in some incidents, Patterson took over victims’ phones, email accounts and financial accounts.
How prosecutors say he worked
Federal prosecutors have alleged a pattern in which Patterson set up Grindr meetups, then asked to use victims’ phones as a pretext. Once he had the devices, he used them to drain bank and app accounts, open new lines of credit and impersonate victims while soliciting money, according to court filings. In some encounters he allegedly pulled knives or a stun gun, and at least one victim was stabbed, prosecutors told the court during the 2022 case.
Patterson pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and aggravated identity theft and was first sentenced in late 2022. The plea and original sentence were detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Why the sentence was vacated
The sentence did not stick. Patterson appealed, and a three-judge Ninth Circuit panel ruled that the district court had erred by imposing a hate-crime enhancement without finding beyond a reasonable doubt that Patterson was motivated by bias. The panel vacated the original sentence and sent the case back for a fresh look at the punishment.
The court’s reasoning is laid out in the opinion available via Justia.
State charges and the wider probe
As the case unfolded, local prosecutors filed state charges after more people came forward. News outlets reported a sweeping indictment with more than 30 counts tied to dozens of alleged incidents. Prosecutors and media accounts say the investigation ultimately identified many additional alleged victims and led to coordination between federal and local authorities.
For a deeper look at the broader probe and the scope of the allegations, see coverage from the Los Angeles Times.
What the sentence means
Under federal law, aggravated identity theft typically carries a mandatory two-year term that must run consecutively to any sentence for the underlying felony. That add-on can significantly increase the total time a defendant spends in prison.
In Patterson’s case, the new 87-month term reflects how the court applied sentencing enhancements after the appellate ruling. The re-sentencing was shaped by the guidance from the Ninth Circuit and the structure of federal penalties for identity theft. For an explanation of those penalties, see the Congressional Research Service.
Authorities say the investigation is still active. Anyone who believes they were targeted is urged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. Federal prosecutors have previously shared FBI contact information in releases from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
