A man convicted of murdering and robbing Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock at a popular Los Angeles restaurant was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison on Monday.
Last month, a jury convicted Freddie Lee Trone, 42, on one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to conduct robbery. On Monday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Connie Quinones read his punishment at the Compton Courthouse.
Prosecutors said Trone instructed his son, then 17, to rob the rapper on September 12, 2022, while he was dining with his 4-year-old daughter’s mother at Roscoe’s Chicken ‘N Waffles, a celebrity-favorite restaurant in South Los Angeles.
According to Los Angeles police, an armed robber approached PnB Rock, whose true name was Rakim Hasheem Allen, argued with him, robbed him of jewels, and then opened fire, killing him.
The boy was charged with murder and is being kept in a juvenile facility after a judge determined he is not able to stand trial.
Winston McKesson, Trone’s defense attorney, said he intends to appeal the conviction, which he can do after sentencing. He claimed that there is no evidence, from physical goods to correspondence, linking the father to the crime.
“There’s no evidence he supplied the gun, planted the gun or knew his son had a gun,” he stated.
On the day of the murder, PnB Rock posted a video on his then-Twitter account in which he flashed a jewel-encrusted watch that seemed to be an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, a popular object of desire among hip-hop performers looking to announce their success.
A snapshot sent to his eating companion’s Instagram account confirmed his attendance at Roscoe’s and may have also disclosed his whereabouts to the public, according to then-Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore the day after the incident.
Moore stated that a “extensive amount” of jewelry was taken from PnB Rock during the tragic robbery.
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Tremont Jones, 46, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of two charges of robbery and one count of conspiracy in this case.
Freddie Lee’s wife, Shauntel Trone, was the owner of a vehicle that police and prosecutors claimed was linked to the violence. She pleaded no contest to being an accessory to the crime after the fact, according to the district attorney’s office. Her sentencing was set on January 16.
Trone’s affirmation that justice will win for PnB Rock’s loved ones was made public on Monday by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.
