Murder of PnB Rock: Man convicted of robbery and shooting of rapper

COMPTON, California. – A 42-year-old man convicted of robbing and shooting rapper PnB Rock at a South Los Angeles restaurant was sentenced Monday to just over 31 years to life in prison.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: PnB Rock murder trial: Jury finds man guilty of sending teenage son to rob and kill rapper

Freddie Trone was found guilty on August 7 of murder and conspiracy to commit robbery, as well as two counts of second-degree robbery in a case involving the 30-year-old rapper and his fiancée.

Tremont Jones, 46, who was found guilty of two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery – but was not charged with murder in that case – was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The defendants were charged along with Trone's son, who was 17 at the time. His case is currently in juvenile court while he undergoes treatment to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial.

PnB Rock, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was shot once in the chest and twice in the back by a ski-masked assailant who demanded his jewelry and threatened to kill the rapper's girlfriend as the two ate lunch at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles on West Manchester Avenue on September 12, 2022.

Assistant District Attorney Timothy Richardson told the jury that Trone “sent his son on a coordinated operation to steal watches, rings and necklaces from an individual,” while defense attorney Winston McKesson countered that Trone's teenage son acted independently of his father and that the “only conclusion consistent with justice is that Freddie Trone is not guilty of these charges.”

The prosecutor told jurors that the motive for the crime was “about half a million dollars worth of jewelry,” arguing that Trone drove his son to the restaurant and back home, but never entered the establishment himself while the rapper was there.

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The prosecution stated that Jones punched the rapper in the restaurant and then gave Trone information about what jewelry the entertainer was wearing.

Richardson noted “how difficult it is to accept that a father would do such a thing to his son.”

The prosecutor told jurors that Trone, his son and Jones carried out “coordinated actions” that were “not accidental.”

Trone vigorously protested his innocence on the witness stand, telling the jury: “I wasn't there. I didn't tell anyone not to do anything.”

Trone testified that his son and his own vehicle went missing and that he later found his son in the vehicle with three other “juveniles.”

Trone's lawyer said there was “no evidence of a conspiracy” to rob the rapper and accused investigators of having already formed an opinion about “who they thought was guilty” and “only looking for evidence that pointed to guilt” while ignoring anything that pointed to his client's innocence.

“You have no evidence that my client planned anything,” McKesson said, telling jurors that the prosecution's goal was to create a “dislike” for Trone.

The defense attorney told reporters outside court that he believes his client would not have been charged with murder if he had not lived in the area and was African-American. If the crime had taken place in Beverly Hills, he would have been charged with accessory after the fact.

After the verdict, McKesson told City News Service he was “disappointed” with the outcome of the trial.

“I think the problem is that it's a big problem any time a black man is charged with a violent crime and there are no African-Americans on the jury,” he said. “Because all non-black people – no matter what race they are – view black men as dangerous.”

The lawyer said he would appeal on Trone's behalf.

“I believe we have challenged every aspect of the case,” McKesson said in court.

“I don't think the jury cared. I think they ignored all the evidence that pointed to innocence and accepted all the evidence that pointed to guilt. I think they made up their minds early on how they were going to vote.”

The defense attorney said that when the panel returned with a verdict after only 90 minutes of deliberation, “I knew they had not listened to my arguments or my client's testimony.”

Before the verdict, Jones' attorney called the case “so thin” and said the idea that his client was an accessory to the crime was “not tenable.”

Trone's son was arrested in September 2022, his father was subsequently arrested in Las Vegas and returned to Los Angeles County in October 2022, while Jones was taken into custody in May 2023, according to jail records.

Philadelphia's PnB Rock first gained recognition with his 2016 single “Selfish,” which sold over 2 million copies.