Leader of ‘violent’ western WA robbery crew pleads guilty

The leader of an armed robbery crew that invaded homes across western Washington in 2022 pleaded guilty Monday.

Christopher Johnson, 24, faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Johnson admitted he was involved in a pattern of “violent crimes” allegedly committed by a group of men, according to the plea agreement. In the summer of 2022, the men allegedly targeted certain families for robberies.

Robbery crew would create ‘a climate of fear’

“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. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as nine,” the attorney’s office stated.

The men would reportedly steal any valuables they could, and at one point, according to the plea agreement, shot and killed a young mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed.

Each crew member had a specific job, such as identifying victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections, surveilling the homes, serving as a driver, kicking in the door, corralling the family, holding the victims at gunpoint, and ransacking the home.

The attorney’s office noted some of the people participating in the robbery scheme were juveniles.

Johnson’s admitted crimes

Johnson admitted to committing armed robberies in Mount Vernon, Burien, Kent, and Everett, along with burglaries and attempted burglaries in Kent and Mercer Island.

He also admitted to kidnapping a young boy during the Mount Vernon robbery and abducting a Kent victim, forcing her to withdraw cash from an ATM. One of the Everett robbery victims was murdered.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Johnson will also plead guilty to second-degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court. Both the prosecution and defense will recommend a 25-year prison term to run concurrently with the federal sentence.

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