Freddie Lee Trone, a man convicted of murder after sending his teenage son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock at a South Los Angeles restaurant, has been sentenced to 31 years in prison.
L.A. Superior Court Judge Connie Quinones handed down the sentence on Monday, Sept. 23, according to a news release from the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
Co-defendant, Tremont Jones, was sentenced to 12 years in prison following his conviction on two counts of second-degree robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
PnB Rock, born Rakim Allen, was fatally shot on Sept. 12, 2022, while having lunch with his girlfriend at a Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles, in the 100 block of W. Manchester Ave. The rapper was 30 years old at the time of his death.
Related: PnB Rock’s Girlfriend Details Challenges Since Losing Her ‘Protector’ and ‘Provider’
In a statement after Monday’s sentencing, L.A. County D.A. George Gascón called the killing “tragic and senseless.”
“Today, justice has been served with the sentencing of two men for the tragic and senseless murder of Rakim Hasheem Allen, also known to many as the talented rap artist PnB Rock,” Gascón said. “I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Rakim Allen. His life was cut short by an act of violence that no family should have to endure.”
During the murder trial, prosecutors said Jones alerted Trone that the rapper was inside the restaurant wearing expensive jewelry.
Jones fist-bumped PnB Rock in the restaurant and then let the elder Trone know what type of jewelry he was wearing, according to the prosecution.
Trone then sent his teenage son inside to rob the rapper at gunpoint, prosecutors said.
Deputy District Attorney Timothy Richardson told the jury that the motive for the crime was “about a half a million dollars worth of jewelry,” as previously reported.
Police said a male suspect walked up to PnB Rock and his girlfriend, drew a handgun, demanded jewelry, and shot the rapper after an argument. Rock died a short time after he was transported to an area hospital.
Startled diners witnessed the shooting, which was recorded on the restaurant’s video surveillance system.
Disturbing video posted on social media showed bystanders, restaurant employees and a uniformed security guard tending to the victim before first responders arrived.
Freddie Lee Trone fled to Las Vegas following the shooting.
Two weeks later, he was taken into custody by a task force made up of agents from the FBI, along with officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Henderson Police Department. He was extradited to California.
During the trial, defense attorney Winston McKesson insisted Trone was “not guilty of these charges,” and said his teenage son acted independently.
The father took the stand and claimed he wasn’t at the restaurant when the shooting happened.
“I never had nothing to do with it,” Trone testified. “I wasn’t there. I didn’t tell nobody to do nothing. I didn’t hand nobody no gun.”
Despite his denial, jurors found him guilty of one count of murder; one count of conspiracy to commit robbery; and two counts of second-degree robbery involving the rapper and his girlfriend.
Trone’s son, who was 17 at the time of the killing, is scheduled for a status conference on Oct. 2, 2024, the D.A.’s office said Monday.
The teen’s stepmother, Shauntel Trone, pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16, 2025.
PnB Rock grew up in Philadelphia. He released his first mixtape in 2014, and was signed to Atlantic Records.
The rapper was best known for his 2015 single “Fleek” and the 2016 track “Selfish,” which has over 66 million views on YouTube. He was also featured on Ed Sheeran’s single “Cross Me,” along with Chance the Rapper.
The image above shows (L-R) Freddie Lee Trone and PnB Rock.
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