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U.S. NEWS Friday 1 September 2017

Suspect in shooting of California deputy has violent record

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE because they believed a
PAUL ELIAS stolen vehicle ring was be-
Associated Press ing run from the room.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Littlecloud, of Castro Val-
— The suspect in a hotel ley, California, has a crimi-
shootout that left a Califor- nal history dating back to
nia police officer dead and 2004, including a six-year
two wounded while they in- sentence for assault with
vestigated a stolen vehicle a semi-automatic weapon
ring has a violent criminal and prison time of more
history, court records show. than a year for vehicle
He did prison time for as- theft, court records said.
sault with a semi-automatic He was also sentenced
weapon and vehicle theft. in 2013 to three years for
Thomas Daniel Littlecloud, evading a police officer
32, from the San Francisco and possessing and illegal
Bay Area, was in critical gun and twice violated pa-
condition Thursday at a role in 2015.
hospital and suffering from French, the deputy, died
life threatening injuries af- on the way to the hospital.
ter he got into a gunfight Two California Highway Pa-
with other officers Wednes- trol officers who were shot
day after fleeing the hotel and wounded were ex-
in a car, said Sacramento pected to survive. A suspect believed to be involved in the shooting of law enforcement officers is taken
County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tony They were identified Thurs- from the scene by Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in
Turnbull. day as John Wilson and Da- Sacramento, Calif.
Littlecloud fatally shot Dep- vid Woodward by Califor- (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
uty Robert French, 52, on nia state Sen. Jim Nielsen, which Turnbull described charges of vehicle theft Turnbull said.
Wednesday with an assault a Republican who said he as routine when officer-in- and felony evasion in con- The hotel’s guests were
rifle as Littlecloud made his was given the information volved shootings happen. nection with Wednesday’s trapped Wednesday in
getaway from the hotel by the highway patrol. The Sacramento County events, which began as their rooms for most of the
after shooting through the Six other sheriff’s deputies District Attorney’s office will part of a routine stolen ve- day as police methodically
door at the officers who involved in the shooting also conduct an indepen- hicle investigation. The po- cleared the area and con-
knocked on the door of will be placed on paid ad- dent review, he said. lice believed Prendez was firmed no other gunmen
Littlefield’s hotel room, Turn- ministrative leave while an Priscilla Prendez, 23, of connected to a stolen ve- stayed behind in the hotel
bull said. Police went there investigation is conducted, Oakland, California, faces hicle ring inside the hotel, room.q
Military parts dealer guilty in plot to steal Army equipment

By KRISTIN M. HALL ing the Arms Export Control guilty. One testified that But prosecutors said Rob- defense attorney did not
Associated Press Act and 10 counts of wire Roberts was given a tour erts knowingly made hun- give closing arguments.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A fraud. Prosecutors said he of the base to see items to dreds of thousands of dol- A former business partner,
military equipment dealer faces up to five years in be stolen. Eventually, they lars supplying a vast black Cory Wilson, testified that
was convicted Thursday of prison for conspiracy and brought equipment back market for years, and his he and Roberts would find
scheming with soldiers at up to 20 years for each from Afghanistan and sold own text messages with the soldiers selling military items
Fort Campbell, Kentucky, count of arms export viola- it by the truckload. soldiers and others involved through classified ads or on
to steal sensitive material tions and wire fraud. More Roberts, 27, testified that he proved he led the con- Facebook, and then ask
for sale to buyers in Russia, than $1 million in weapons did not know the soldiers spiracy.. “This case is about them for more expensive
China and Mexico. parts, body armor, helmets, were bringing him stolen the defendant’s greed and harder-to-find items.
John Roberts, of Clarks- gun sights and other equip- equipment. He said the and piles of stolen military Wilson pleaded guilty to
ville, Tennessee, was found ment was stolen and sold in items he bought and sold equipment,” Assistant U.S. buying and selling stolen
guilty of conspiracy to steal a vast black market, prose- were commonly found in Attorney Thomas Jaworski military equipment, wire
and sell government prop- cutors said. Six soldiers and surplus stores, gun stores told jurors Thursday in clos- fraud and violating the
erty, two counts of violat- another civilian pleaded and on eBay. ing arguments. Roberts’ Arms Export Control Act. q