Gang member pleads guilty to felonies

A man who described himself to police as a member of the Playboy Style Crips gang from Los Angeles pleaded guilty Thursday to two felony charges in connection with a robbery last November in Spokane.

Deion “P” McQueen, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault. He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree burglary as part of the same incident on Nov. 14.

Superior Court Judge Ellen Kalama Clark sentenced McQueen to serve the same five years in prison that Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza imposed last month.

According to court records, McQueen and another man robbed the residents of 1414 N. Atlantic at gunpoint and stole a small safe. A witness saw the two men leaving and noted the license plate, which led police to find McQueen at his residence at 6509 N. Calispel.

Police searched the car and found a receipt that had been in the safe. The name on the receipt was from one of the robbery victims, according to court records.

McQueen’s attorney, Senit Lutgen, said his client was working two jobs and was looking for a third to support his family when the incident occurred. Lutgen agreed with Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Mark Cipolla that McQueen’s relative was the suspect who had the gun during the robbery.

“If (McQueen) had any idea this was the way that day was going to go down, he wouldn’t have been there,” Lutgen said.