I was unfortunate enough to find myself and my family used by Stephen and his associates almost…read morethirteen years ago. I was by all means no angel growing up as a teen. But as I came of age I knew that I could no longer afford to get into trouble, as I'd see the big house. Being from southern California, gangs within the minority community was the norm. I had a few run ins in the juvenile court system because of my affiliation, mainly high-school fist fights. In my last year of high-school right after turning eighteen my found myself the victim of gang violence. I was stabbed and jumped while bleeding at a house party. After the altercation, having grown in gang culture, I did not believe in calling law enforcement. I went and called my family to pick me up. Naturally, I told members of my gang about the incident, and within hours they went back to the home where I was stabbed and fought the assailants. After police reports were taken it was clear that I was initially stabbed as my assailants admitted to attacking me, as was the knife found. When we went to court I refused to testify that my assailants had stabbed me nor did I mention who of my gang that I had contacted following the stabbing. Because of the severity of my wounds and the amount of blood lost, medical experts agreed that had I participated in the fighting, my blood would have been everywhere within the home. They were also informing the DA and Stephen that I would probably not have been conscious with the amount of fluid that I had lost. Stephen asked If I was willing to make some kind of a deal with the DA and I agreed, wanting to hear what they had to offer. To this day, this still haunts my mother; Stephen and the DA informed us that they knew that I was not at the home during the fighting, but that since I was stabbed it was clear that it was a retaliatory attacked. I was given the opportunity to naming those members of my gang that I had spoken to or I could testify against them. As I was initially a victim due to the stabbing, I was upset that I was charged for the fighting within the home, which was charged as a home invasion, when not only was I not there, but that I was stabbed by the friends of the home owners children. It amazed me at how quickly things turned for me just because of my stance of not wanting to testify against both those that stabbed myself and my friends for going back. Stephen kept asking my mother for more money for my legal fees, and after realizing overtime that she had no more money, he passed her over to one of his associates. In the end Stephen and the DA made a deal which I regretfully took at eighteen, to have the home invasion charges dropped to a burglary in the first degree, SEVEN YEARS in prison, and restitution for the stolen vehicle. Stephen said that, because I had trouble growing up, that my case would have been too difficult to prove to a jury's eyes that I was not innocent. I always wondered that wasn't it the DA's responsibility to prove that I had done the crime not for the jury to judge my character, and that my legal representative was to prove that I wasn't there? Being young, and with my mother barely speaking English, I accepted the deal with regret. I managed to parole early with good behavior , after four years, and I was even recommended by my parole agent an early parole release, but due to the nature of the crime it could not be granted. Since I couldn't find any job with a record on my name I went and finished college. Now, after so many years my record is no-longer a factor and I now work in the engineering field for the DOD as a sub contractor through a contracted engineering firm. I'm doing well now, but with no help from Stephen. I would advise all who would listen not to seek assistance with this man. One other thing that I'll always remember was my mother telling me how, after the case and the sentencing, Stephen was in front of the courtroom, speaking with the deputy DA, making arrangements for Christmas and and their families. I felt like my case was traded as a mere social pleasantry.
