The Justice Journal: Vol. 60 (English)

The Justice Journal: Vol. 60

A look at cases recently prosecuted by the Dallas County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

State vs. Antwan Franklin

Capital Murder

Lead: Jacob Zachariah

2nd Chair: Katherine Mitchell

DA Investigator: Michael Csaszar

DA Paralegal: Carmen Oliva

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On May 5, 2022, the defendant was partying with Du’vonta Lampkin, a 6’6”, 270-pound former NFL, CFL and OU Defensive Tackle. The defendant was feeding Mr. Lampkin multiple substances, which resulted in him getting so high he was drifting in and out of consciousness. As the defendant was loading Mr. Lampkin up on drugs, he reached out to two of his associates, Erick Garcia and John Williams, and hatched a plan. The defendant instructed them to come to the Butler Brothers Building next to City Hall in Downtown Dallas where Lampkin was staying on the 5th floor. He then sent Garcia and Williams up to the 5th floor and instructed them to ambush Mr. Lampkin. The defendant aimed to steal $20,000, purportedly in the distinctive backpack that Mr. Lampkin was known to wear and split the proceeds evenly amongst his cohort. Mr. Lampkin fought back, and John Williams killed Du’vonta Lampkin by shooting him in the center of his chest, perforating his aorta. Mr. Lampkin was left on the floor of the apartment for 20 hours until his friend came and discovered his body the next day. The shooter, John Williams, was found not guilty in October causing even greater distress for the Lampkin Family, thinking they might never get justice for their son.

After suffering and grieving for 952 days, the Lampkin family watched the mastermind of the plot behind their son’s murder take the stand, only to claim he was under duress from Erick Garcia. The defendant cried that he was forced to set up this robbery, all the while expecting his “fair” cut of the stolen loot. The defendant bemoaned that while he left the scene in an Uber that Mr. Lampkin had called for him, he spent the ride home praying that the home invasion and robbery would go okay.

The jury saw through the defendant’s fabrications and falsehoods and found him guilty of the crime he organized and committed.

GUILTY and sentenced to LIFE in prison without the possibility of parole.

State vs. Keonte Moore

Murder

Lead: Robin Ogbonna

2nd Chair: Shawnkeedra Martin

DA Investigators: Victor Vasquez, Garrick Whaley, JD Williams

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On the evening of April 3, 2021, the defendant went to the apartment of his friend, mentor, and neighbor, D’Angelo Roane, to hang out. When Mr. Roane went to sleep, the defendant took Mr. Roane’s gun, shot him in the back of his head. He then took the murder weapon, the fired cartridge casing, and Mr. Roane’s car keys and took off in Mr. Roane’s newly purchased vehicle.

In the days that followed, the defendant would continually pop up at various points in the Dallas Police Department’s investigation of the murder to feed the police false information to throw them off the scent. A few days into the investigation, police found Mr. Roane’s vehicle hidden in a parking garage across the street from the offense location and retrieved surveillance video showing the defendant parking the vehicle there. Police later found the car keys and the murder weapon in the defendant’s apartment and the fired cartridge casing in the driver’s side map pocket of Mr. Roane’s vehicle. When the defendant realized the police were about to arrest him for murder, his family bought him a one-way ticket back to Chicago. The defendant was arrested at Love Field Airport trying to flee the state.

GUILTY and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

State vs. Darrell Aclese

Murder

Lead: Zachery Brown

2nd Chair: Sarah Stefaniak

DA Investigator: Ric Bruner

DA Paralegal: Madelein Garcia

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant and victim in this case had been friends for more than 30 years. On March 30, 2023, the victim was at the defendant’s house working on the defendant’s car.  The two men had been drinking and were both high on crack cocaine and got into an argument leading the defendant to stab the victim multiple times. The defendant then hid the knife and placed a hangup call to 911. Moments after the stabbing, the defendant’s sister called 911 and attempted to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived and took the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The defendant testified claiming self-defense, and that the victim had a tool bag with a gun in it however no such gun was recovered from the scene. The defendant was unsuccessfully discharged from probation for a 2016 stabbing of two individuals just 45 days before committing this 2023 murder.

GUILTY and sentenced to 42 years in prison.

State vs. Jose Ponce Hernandez

Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Lead: Kalle Riner

2nd Chair: Aryanna Bradford

DA Investigator: Laura Brakefield

The defendant was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. He tried to blame his victim who was under the age of 13.

Although the Judge decided the punishment, all 12 members of the jury stated to see the result and hear the victim impact statement.

GUILTY and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

State vs. Woldemichael Endrias

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon x 2

Lead: Priscilla Pelli

2nd Chair: Shawnkeedra Martin

DA Investigator: JD Williams

DA Victim Advocate: Claudia Arnick

DA Paralegal: Maria Cantrell

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On November 22, 2022 (Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend), the victim and his family gathered for a huge family reunion in Dallas. The victim along with his sister and other family members, left dinner and drove to Noble Bar and Lounge to pick up his kids from the bar on the way back home. While the victim was standing outside the bar waiting for his kids, the defendant approached him and engaged in a verbal fight. As the victim turned around to walk away and walk back to his car, the defendant shot him multiple times in the back before threatening the victim’s sister and fleeing the scene. The victim was unarmed. The defendant was apprehended a few days later.

The defendant tried to claim it was self-defense, but the jury disagreed.

GUILTY and sentenced to 20 years in prison on Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and 1 year in jail on Deadly Conduct.

State vs. Alton Shaw

Assault Intentionally or Recklessly Impede Breath Circulation

Lead: Mackenzie Pfleger

2nd Chair: Julie Johnson

DA Investigator: Richard Forness

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant strangled the victim and then pushed her out of a window. He had a prior family violence conviction. The conviction was secured despite the victim not appearing.

GUILTY and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

State vs. Thomas Nguyen

Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Indecency with a Child – Sexual Contact

Lead: Kalle Riner

2nd Chair: Ward Weber

DA Investigator: Laura Brakefield

DA Victim Advocate: Leslie Gutierrez

Investigating Agency: Garland Police Department

The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child/sexual contact.

GUILTY and sentenced to 8 years and 4 years in prison.

State vs. Christopher Summers

Evading Arrest with a Vehicle

Lead: Hallie Warnock

2nd Chair: Gabriela Sanchez

DA Investigators: Martin Bosse & Victor Vasquez

Investigating Agency: Irving Police Department

The defendant tried to avoid being stopped by an Irving Police Officer for driving in a stolen vehicle. First, he fled in the vehicle prompting a police pursuit. He later ditched the car and ran on foot.

GUILTY and sentenced to 2 years in prison.

State vs. Kendrick Holmes

Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon

Unlawful Possession of a Firearm - Felon

Prosecutor: Leah Dintino

DA Investigator: Jesse Resendez

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant robbed a convenience store, pistol-whipping the clerk with a group of individuals. He did this while on parole for three other convenience store aggravated robbery cases from 2013 and on bond for a pending Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon case. The store clerk along with other shoppers from the store testified that they thought they would die that day and were in great fear for their life.

During the hearing, the defendant admitted to having multiple guns while on bond and parole, buying them from who we believe to be other gang members, and trafficking two women. After hearing all the evidence, the judge assessed his punishment at 15 years in prison for the UPF Felon case and 40 years in prison for the Aggravated Robbery.

Many thanks to Detective Cayce Shelton with DPD for his work on the defendant’s 2013 cases and Det. Paul Johnson with DPD for his work on the defendant’s new Aggravated Robbery.

GUILTY PLEA 40 years in prison for Aggravated Robbery with a Deadly Weapon and 15 years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm.

State vs. Raymond Olagues

Manslaughter

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Prosecutor: Kristin Treager

DA Investigators: Ron Cathcart, Bill Martinez

DA Paralegal: Maria Cantrell

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

On the evening of October 16, 2023, the defendant and a friend were leaving the AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas. The defendant was driving a 1997 Toyota pickup truck with his friend in the passenger seat. The defendant was driving at a high rate of speed; his passenger reported asking the defendant to slow down multiple times. The defendant ignored these requests and continued to drive well over 60 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone. He ran through one yellow signal light already, and upon approaching the intersection of Lake June Road and North Prairie Creek Road, the defendant ran through a red signal light causing him to collide with two vehicles, including the victim, Juan Rivas. The collision caused a fire to engulf the victim’s truck. He died at the scene. The defendant’s passenger was pulled out of the vehicle by good Samaritans; he sustained a fractured knee. Toxicology analysis later revealed the defendant had both alcohol and THC in his system.

The defendant pleaded guilty to both cases. The Court also made an affirmative finding that a deadly weapon, a motor vehicle, was used in both cases,

GUILTY PLEA and sentenced to 13 years in prison + a deadly weapon finding.

State vs. Victor Manuel Medina, Jr.

Criminally Negligent Homicide

Prosecutor: Kristin Treager

DA Investigators: William Martinez, Ronald Cathcart

DA Paralegal: Maria Cantrell

Investigating Agency: Dallas Police Department

The defendant was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe at a high rate of speed on Audelia Road in Dallas. Witnesses reported the defendant was “on the gas” and not going with the flow of traffic. The defendant ran a red light at the intersection of Audelia Road and Shadow Way. This portion of Audelia Road is a flat, straight street with no major curves, hills, or sharp turns. The defendant ran another red light at the intersection of Audelia and Chimney Hill Lane and violently collided with the victim’s vehicle. The victim’s vehicle was knocked into the northbound lanes of Audelia Road and traveled 200 feet before striking a retaining wall. The victim died at the scene.

Crash Data Retrieval revealed the defendant was driving 67 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone just 5 seconds before the collision.

The defendant pleaded guilty to Criminally Negligent Homicide with a Deadly Weapon Finding and was sentenced to 6 years in prison with restitution being paid to the victim’s next of kin for funeral expenses.

GUILTY plea and sentenced to 6 years in prison + a deadly weapon finding + restitution