Diavion Deshawna Mouton, 23, of Carson, and Rodney Darrin Maxwell Evans, 23, of Los Angeles’ Vermont Square neighborhood, were found guilty on Friday for their involvement in a series of armed robberies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.
The convictions include conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Evans was involved in two robberies on August 14, 2023—one at a Rite Aid in Bellflower, and another in Vermont Square. Multiple firearms were brandished during these incidents, and employees were forced to open the store safes. In total, the group stole $12,410.
Mouton acted as the getaway driver in two additional robberies on September 19, 2023—one at a Walgreens in Glendale and the other at a Wingstop in Lynwood. Co-conspirators Makai Yusef Sanders, 23, and Kenyatta Kamar Jones, 23, both from Hawthorne, were involved in these robberies, stealing $1,776. During the Walgreens robbery, they held a customer at gunpoint, stole their iPhone, and forced an employee to open the safe. The employee was able to lock herself in an office and call 911 after the robbers were distracted.
Using phone records and GPS data, law enforcement arrested Sanders, Jones, and Mouton on September 26, 2023. During their arrest, Jones and Sanders were found with handguns and clothing matching that worn during the Walgreens robbery.
“These violent crimes cause lasting harm to our communities,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Through initiatives like Operation Safe Cities, we are working alongside local law enforcement to ensure those who engage in violent crimes are held accountable.”
