LOS ANGELES — A federal jury convicted three Sacramento men in the kidnapping and robbery of an Antelope Valley businessman who was beaten, bound and later abandoned in a remote area, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The jury found the following defendants guilty of kidnapping, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and Hobbs Act robbery:
- Jerome Franklin Jr., 45, also known as “Rome”
- Andrae Hawkins, 41, also known as “Plates”
- De’Andre Lamont King, 31
U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera scheduled sentencing hearings for Franklin, Hawkins and King for Nov. 5.
Each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
FACT CHECKLIST:
- Defendants: Jerome Franklin Jr., Andrae Hawkins and De’Andre Lamont King
- Hometowns: Sacramento, California
- Crime date: Oct. 27, 2023
- Kidnapping location: Lancaster, California
- Victim: Antelope Valley businessman
- Demands: At least $100,000, gold and jewelry
- Convictions: Kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery
- Acquittals: Conspiracy to commit kidnapping and a firearm charge
- Sentencing date: Nov. 5
- Maximum penalty: Life in federal prison
- Judge: U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera
- Co-defendants: Shanjeet Brar and Peter Arafiles Jr.
According to evidence presented during the seven-day trial, the defendants traveled from Sacramento to Lancaster on Oct. 27, 2023, and kidnapped the businessman from his workplace.
The defendants beat the victim, bound his hands behind his back with zip ties and pulled his turban over his face before securing it with duct tape, prosecutors said. They demanded at least $100,000, along with gold and jewelry, and threatened to kill the victim and his family if he refused to comply.
While the victim was being held captive, some of the defendants traveled to his home to rob it. The victim’s wife spotted the intruders through the home’s security system and called her husband’s cellphone, which was in the kidnappers’ possession.
The kidnappers eventually abandoned the victim in a remote area, where he was later rescued.
The jury acquitted Franklin, Hawkins and King of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
One of the two vehicles used during the kidnapping — the vehicle connected to the home invasion — was rented by co-defendant Shanjeet Brar, 59, of Sacramento. Brar pleaded guilty in September 2025 to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. He is awaiting sentencing.
Another defendant, Peter Arafiles Jr., 31, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to conspiracy to commit kidnapping. He is serving a 10-year federal prison sentence.