Two San Bernardino brothers were sentenced to prison Jan. 29 for fatally shooting a marijuana dealer in 2021 after arranging for a transaction they knew they couldn’t afford.
Martrell Patrick Shaw, 20, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, and his brother, Rontrell Brainell Shaw, 22, received 14 years for his role as a getaway driver in the crime.
The brothers planned to rob the seller at gunpoint, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A third man, Dillion Jones, 20, of San Bernardino—and a cousin of the Shaws—placed the order for the drug and will be sentenced in April.
The dealer was shot in the neck and torso and later died of his wounds.
It’s not clear who fired the shots. The U.S. attorney’s account only indicates that “one of the robbers discharged the firearm twice.” Mr. Martrell Shaw and Mr. Jones then stole the 1 pound of marijuana and the seller’s gun, and fled in a getaway car.
“These defendants’ greed and violence led to the death of the victim,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Their disregard for human life has left the victim’s family and friends devastated.”
U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal also ordered the Shaw brothers to pay the victim’s father $14,000 for funeral expenses. .The victim was only identified in court documents as “D.M.”
According to the U.S. attorney’s account, Mr. Martrell Shaw pleaded guilty in May 2023 to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime. Mr. Rontrell Shaw, the crew’s driver, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to robbery.
Mr. Jones pleaded guilty in September 2023 to conspiracy, robbery, possession of a stolen firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime.
The case was investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and San Bernardino police.
