A leader of an armed robbery crew that carried out a series of home invasion robberies in 2022, including five in Kent, pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act (RICO).
Christopher Johnson, 24, entered the plea Monday, Feb. 2 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, according to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) press release. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced May 6 by U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King. Under terms of the agreement for a guilty plea, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a 25-year prison term.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson admits he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by codefendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and their co-conspirators. The plea agreement describes how in the summer of 2022, the men targeted certain families for robberies.
To create a climate of fear, the robbery crew burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, claiming to be police, and with guns drawn, according to court documents. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as 9. They would steal any valuables they could ransack from these homes. They shot and killed one young Everett mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed.
Each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: identifying potential victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling the target homes; serving as a driver; kicking in the door; corralling the family; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of those participating in this violent robbery scheme were juveniles.
In one of the Kent cases, on Aug. 12, 2022, two Kent residents were locked in a closet when their home was ransacked.
Officers responded at about 6:59 a.m. regarding a robbery, according to a Kent Police blotter item. The two were asleep in their home and woke up to their normal alarm. When they went downstairs, they saw flashlights and were overtaken by three suspects.
The suspects zip tied their hands, demanded cash and jewelry, and put them in a closet while they ransacked their home. The victims remained in the closet until they could no longer hear the suspects. When they left the closet, they cut off the zip ties and ran to the neighbor’s house to call the police. The suspects took the keys to the victim’s vehicle, some jewelry, and electronics.
Some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement have not been formally charged, according to the DOJ. They can be considered by the judge in determining the sentence and for purposes of restitution.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Johnson will plead guilty to second-degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the Aug. 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok. Both sides will also recommend a 25-year sentence to run concurrent with the federal sentence. Johnson is asking that the judge recommend he serve his sentence in the Washington state prison system. However, Judge King can decide whether or not to make that recommendation, according to the DOJ.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Kent Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The crimes admitted in the Johnson plea agreement include:
• May 24, 2022, the armed robbery of a family in Mount Vernon.
• May 24, 2022, the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
• May 24, 2022, attempted robbery on Mercer Island – one robber fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the house.
• May 27, 2022, burglary of an unoccupied Kent residence.
• June 19, 2022, the attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One of the residents fired at the robbery crew causing them to flee
• July 14, 2022, the armed robbery of a couple in Burien.
• July 28, 2022, the armed robbery of a woman in Kent.
• July 28,2022, the abduction of the victim in the Kent robbery to force her to obtain cash from ATMs.
• Aug. 12, 2022, the robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
• Aug. 19, 2022, the Everett armed robbery of a couple and their child.
• Aug. 19, 2022, the murder of one of the Everett robbery victims.
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