A La Verne woman described as a secretary for an imprisoned shot-caller in the Mexican Mafia who controlled Latino gangs in Pomona was sentenced to seven years in federal prison on Monday, Feb. 5.
Kelly Deshannon, 42, was found guilty by a federal jury last July of one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, one count of committing a violent crime in support of racketeering activity, and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Deshannon served as a secretary to Seferino Gonzalez, an imprisoned shot caller of the Michael Lerma Cell of the Mexican Mafia. Gonzalez wielded control over Latino gangs from prison, including overseeing drug trafficking, armed robberey and other offenses committed in Pomona.
Secretaries —often female associates — are relied on by the Mexican Mafia to communicate with incarcerated members and relay their instructions to other members.
Cheryl Perez-Castañeda, another secretary for the Lerma Cell, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in 2021.
As a secretary, Deshannon helped facilitate an attempted armed robbery of car keys to a Mercedes-Benz SUV in 2013, which resulted in the shooting of a victim. She knew the victims’ address, that the victims had access to the car keys, and had spoken to the victims, according to the U.S Department of Justice.
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On the night of the shooting, Deshannon brought the shooter and other gang members with her to the victims’ address and pointed out a victim to her accomplices.
The victim was wounded in the shooting but survived their injuries.
Deshannon’s other roles in the mafia’s illicit activities included acting as the go-between in drug sales and collecting extortionate taxes in Lerma Cell territory.
Lerma, who is this case’s lead defendant, was indicted in 2018 and has pleaded not guilty to RICO conspiracy and multiple other federal charges.
Lerma has remained in federal custody, and his trial is set to begin on July 23.
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