SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A gang member convicted of participating in the retaliation killing of a fellow gang member was sentenced on Friday to life in prison without parole.
Jacob Anthony Rump, 31, was convicted in July of murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of Scott Miller, a founding member of Public Enemy No. 1, who was targeted for airing the gang's "dirty laundry" in a television news interview.
In additional to life without parole, Rump was sentenced to 83 years to life in prison as well as additional life terms, by Orange County Superior Court Judge William Froeberg, said Senior Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh.
Rump and Michael Lamb, 32, -- who both sport such tattoos as swastikas and "white power" -- were convicted July 10 of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, committing murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, attempted murder of a police officer, street terrorism and firearms-possession counts.
Prosecutors sought the death penalty against Lamb as the alleged triggerman on March 8, 2002, when Miller was lured from a party in the guise of buying drugs in Anaheim. He was shot in the back of the head in an alley in Anaheim, prosecutors said.
Lamb also fired a shot three days later at an Anaheim police officer who was trying to arrest the pair. The two were arrested after the gun jammed, prosecutors said.
The jury that convicted the men were deadlocked as to whether to recommend the death penalty for Lamb, but prosecutors said they will seek execution again.
Before Froeberg imposed the term, Rump made a statement reiterating argument by his attorney that there was insufficient evidence to convict him.
Defense attorney Robeson Harley asked Froeberg to weigh the evidence independently of the jury, arguing that Rump was largely convicted on the basis of "spill over" evidence presented against Lamb.
However, Froeberg concluded that he would have reached the same verdicts as the jury, Baytieh said.
Rump had asked to be tried separately, but prosecutors would not agree, Harley said.
Harley said he asked few questions of witnesses because he felt most of the evidence was weighted against Lamb, not Rump.
The issue of the separate trial and others will be the basis for an appeal, Harley said.
The reason for the slaying, Baytieh said, was that Miller, known as "Scottish," aired gang dirty laundry in a two-part news report.
The story, broadcast Feb. 20-21, 2001, focused on the evolution of the gang from punk rockers in Long Beach to racist skinheads to criminal thugs, Baytieh said.
Miller was featured in the first part of the Fox News Channel investigative report, Baytieh said.
The segment was taped in 1999, but did not air until six days before two leaders of the gang were set to go on trial on charges of conspiracy to commit murder in another case, Baytieh said.
