An East Bay woman who admitted she was part of a robbery crew that singled out women who looked Asian has avoided jail, walking away from a potential prison term after completing a court-ordered diversion program, according to recent court filings.
Prosecutors said the group scoped out Chinatown before a June 17, 2021 attack in the parking lot of a Costco in San Leandro, where a woman was robbed and multiple items were taken. Instead of prison, the court required the woman, Sene Malepeai, to complete a set of conditions that included restitution, education, and treatment.
According to Hoodline, one co-defendant, Freddie Lee Davis III, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October 2024 to 24 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Malepeai also pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2024, and acknowledged in her plea agreement that the three other occupants of the vehicle had discussed going to Chinatown to rob Asian women with purses or jewelry before the San Leandro incident.
Court records filed this month show Malepeai avoided a criminal conviction after completing a diversion plan that required an apology, restitution, education and job training, according to The Mercury News. Prosecutors told the court she had secured employment, finished DUI courses and taken part in mental health treatment as part of the deal, and was ordered to pay $3,290.26 in restitution.
The federal case grew out of the June 2021 Costco robbery and a related identity theft scheme. Investigators followed a trail of fraudulent card purchases that prosecutors said tied the suspects to the stolen goods.
A pattern of targeting
The San Leandro robbery did not happen in a vacuum. It mirrored a broader run of purse snatchings and robberies across the Bay Area in 2020-21 in which prosecutors said Asian women were disproportionately targeted. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, law enforcement eventually tied multiple suspects to dozens of incidents in a multi-jurisdictional investigation.
Court notes and legal implications
Under federal law, aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, and wire fraud can carry a sentence of up to 20 years, points prosecutors highlighted in charging documents and plea agreements, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Within that framework, judges can still weigh diversion and treatment programs when defendants accept responsibility and satisfy strict court-set conditions.
Defense filings from attorney Kathryn Ross state that Malepeai was required to secure housing, reliable childcare, and a job in order to avoid imprisonment. Supporters and defense counsel argued in court papers that financial sanctions, close supervision, and treatment would be more effective at preventing future offenses than a prison term.
Victims' advocates say the case highlights ongoing fears in AAPI communities about being singled out for crime, while prosecutors maintain that a mix of prison for some defendants and restitution plus treatment for others is part of accountability. Federal records show the San Leandro investigation ultimately produced multiple guilty pleas and a range of outcomes for those involved.
