Man convicted for involving son in criminal plot against rapper PnB Rock

In Compton, California, a man named Freddie Trone, 42, was found guilty by a Los Angeles County jury for sending his 17-year-old son to kill rapper PnB Rock. The jury’s deliberations lasted about four hours, and Trone was convicted of one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. It was agreed by both sides during the two-week trial that the teenager entered Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles in September 2022 and shot the Philadelphia hip-hop artist while stealing his jewelry as he dined with the mother of his 4-year-old daughter.
The prosecution contended that the teen was following his father’s instructions, while the defense argued that Trone was merely an accessory after the fact. The now 19-year-old son was charged with murder but is currently in the custody of the juvenile system and considered not competent to stand trial by a judge. Another individual, Tremont Jones, was also found guilty of two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy, but was not charged with murder.
David Haas, the lawyer representing Jones, stated his intention to pursue an appeal. PnB Rock, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was a well-known Philadelphia rapper recognized for hits like “Selfish” from 2016, as well as collaborations with other artists such as YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” featuring Chance the Rapper. He was 30 years old.
During the trial, Trone took the unusual step of testifying in his defense and denied any involvement in inciting the murder. He adamantly stated, “I never had anything to do with it. I wasn’t there. I didn’t tell anybody to do anything. I didn’t hand anybody a gun.” Trone did acknowledge that the crimes were horrendous and that his son was dangerous.
Deputy District Attorney Timothy Richardson highlighted these points during his closing argument, questioning Trone’s decision to involve his teenage son in such a dangerous act. Richardson stressed to the jurors that even if someone is not the shooter, they can still be held accountable for felony murder if they played a significant role and acted with disregard for human life. Surveillance footage displayed Trone in the restaurant’s parking lot half an hour before the incident, claiming he was there to promote his nearby beauty shop.
Richardson presented a surveillance image showing Jones giving a fist bump to Allen, who was wearing valuable jewelry on his arm. Prosecutors alleged that Jones then alerted Trone to the rapper’s presence and his jewelry.