3 Men Indicted In Alleged Oakland Murder Plot

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A federal grand jury has returned a superceding indictment in a case in which three men are charged with conspiring to murder a man in East Oakland in 2016, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The indictment filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday alleges that Marcus Etienne conspired with Mario Robinson and Burte Gucci Rhodes to murder 28-year-old Trince Thibodeaux of Los Gatos in the 8900 block of International Boulevard at about 10:15 p.m. on March 22, 2016, prosecutors said.

The indictment alleges that Rhodes, 37, of Oakland, shot and killed Thibodeaux and was promised $5,000 was promised in exchange for the murder.

Prosecutors said the indictment charges Etienne, who's also known as "Hitler," Robinson, 35 of Oakland, and Rhodes, who's also known as "Moeshawn," with murder-for-hire, a number of firearm and drug distribution offenses and related crimes.

Etienne, 37, of Opelousas, Louisiana, and Robinson also are charged with racketeering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The superseding indictment amends racketeering, murder and conspiracy charges originally filed against Etienne, Robinson, and other defendants on Feb. 16, 2017, and updated on Aug. 3, 2017.

Prosecutors say the charges stem from a multi-state marijuana trafficking organization and the murder of Thibodeaux.

They say the indictment alleges that Etienne ran an enterprise consisting of more than five members who conducted a continuing and extensive narcotics conspiracy and criminal organization that distributed marijuana from California to Louisiana and Texas.

Etienne and Robinson also are charged with racketeering conspiracy and being part of an enterprise referred to in the indictment as the "Etienne Enterprise" that's based in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.

The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that the Etienne Enterprise engaged in narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, extortionate collection of extensions of credit, murder for hire, murder, money laundering, illegal firearms possession and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors said a gambling operation through a large-scale dog-fighting ring was among the activities of the racketeering conspiracy.

They allege that the racketeering conspiracy existed since Jan. 7, 2013, and its members operated in Louisiana, Northern California, Texas and elsewhere.

Etienne and Robinson already were on custody based on the previous indictments and Rhodes was arrested Dec. 5 on a federal arrest warrant, according to prosecutors.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco.

(Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app. Also, be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!)

Also See:

• Goat Herding In The East Bay Hills: Photos
• Deadly Mushrooms Growing In The East Bay
• Apple Has Over 600 Job Openings In The Bay Area Right Now
• List Of All ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ Restaurants In Northern California
• Please Don't Help My Kids

— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock