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Five indicted on 28 felony charges in Golden West Casino robbery

BY STEVE E. SWENSON, Californian staff writer
sswenson@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, May 14 2008 5:27 PM

Last Updated: Thursday, May 15 2008 7:58 AM

Four of the five defendants in the Golden West Casino robbery case have been indicted on 28 felonies.

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Photos:

Photo by Felix Adamo / The Californian

Top row, from left: Jajuan Bell and John Fitzgerald Williams. Bottom row, from left: Lynel Travon Lewis, Michael Paul Johnson and Don Lavell Joseph. (File photo of Golden West Casino was taken by staff photographer Casey Christie)

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The fifth defendant was indicted on seven felonies, but all five defendants remain in jail in lieu of posting $5 million bail each.

Before the indictment by the Kern County grand jury, the defendants were charged with six to 10 felonies each.

Those earlier charges were dismissed and their cases were changed to reflect the indictment charges, Supervising Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said.

The five defendants were arraigned on the new charges Wednesday and were scheduled for a trial on July 7.

All pleaded not guilty.

The defendants charged with 28 felonies, including a Sept. 13 robbery of the same casino, are Jajuan Bell, 29, Deon Lavell Joseph, 24, John Fitzgerald Williams, 19, and Lynell Travon Lewis, 31.

The charges include four counts of robbery, six counts of assault with a machine gun, seven counts of assault with a semi-automatic gun, and various other gun, theft and gang charges.

The fifth defendant, Michael Paul Johnson, 24, faces seven counts in connection with the attempted robbery on March 31.

The other defendants also face charges in connection with the March 31 incident.

But that purported planned robbery was thwarted when sheriff’s deputies used spike strips on Highway 58 to stop the vehicles and arrest the suspects, officers said.

Weapons including an AK-47 and 12-gauge shotguns were seized, deputies said.

Johnson was in custody during the Sept. 13 robbery which gave him an alibi to that event, Zimmer said.