Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Yuba City Armed Robbery Of Marijuana Dealers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Clorenzo Griffin, 38, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for planning and participating in the robbery of marijuana from drug dealers in Yuba City, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin announced.
In sentencing Griffin, United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller noted that the defendant was very lucky that nothing worse happened on the day of his arrest. Judge Mueller had earlier sentenced Griffin’s co-conspirators, Andre Jamison, 40, of Miami, Florida, to seven years and three months in prison and crew member Rodney Rackley, 24, of Miami, Florida, to six years in prison.
According to court documents, on October 11, 2014, a California Highway (CHP) officer in Sutter County attempted to stop a speeding Jeep Patriot. Griffin, with his co-conspirators as passengers, was the driver of the rented Jeep and drove evasively. As the pursuing CHP officer drew closer, Griffin drew his firearm. This caused a Yolo County Sheriff’s deputy to fire at Griffin in order to halt his aggression toward the pursuing CHP officer. The three defendants eventually abandoned the vehicle in a parking lot on Starr Drive and fled on foot. The defendants were subsequently taken into custody with the assistance of the Sutter County Sheriff’s deputies. At the time of his arrest, Griffin possessed a loaded .40-caliber firearm. Further investigation revealed that Griffin was a deputy U.S. Marshal from south Florida.
Court documents further indicate that before fleeing from the CHP, Griffin, Rackley and Jamison, wearing police ballistic vests, had brandished firearms and robbed three individuals at gunpoint of approximately 24 pounds of marijuana. The robbery took place in the parking lot of a hotel off State Route 99 in Yuba City.
“Violence relating to marijuana trafficking is a serious problem in this region, but it is particularly deplorable when the conduct involves a rogue member of federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Wagner. “Mr. Griffin not only endangered the public by his conduct, but he abused the public trust placed in federal law enforcement by using his service firearm to commit the crime.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Highway Patrol, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuba City Police Department, and the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
