A Chula Vista man who is already serving a life sentence for federal racketeering has been given a 21-year prison term for voluntary manslaughter in a 2013 stabbing.
Wilbert “Coy Blue” Ross III, 32, was recommended by San Diego Superior Court Judge Fred Link to serve the 21-year term concurrently in federal prison. Link gave him credits of having served 1,120 days in jail on Aug. 12.
However, U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw ruled July 20 the life sentence would run consecutive to whatever he received in state court. It may be up to prison officials to determine if Link’s sentence runs concurrent or consecutive.
Ross pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Oct. 25, 2013 slaying of Jeffrey John “JJ” Rees, who was stabbed in the heart in the parking lot of a restaurant at 3195 Market Street in San Diego.
Ironically, the man who stabbed Rees was never charged as he was described as being forced into a “gladiator ring” situation in which he was surrounded by 15-20 people, according to Deputy District Attorney Frank Jackson.
The man with the knife started to turn away, but Ross grabbed his arm and forced him to fight, according to court records. Ross had a dispute with the man who stabbed Rees, who was described as a young gang member.
Another gang member, Paris Hill, was later killed after giving a statement to police about the Rees murder. Hill’s slaying was part of the federal racketeering case against Ross.
Ross was the first person sentenced among four others convicted on March 11 of conspiracy to conduct racketeering in a complicated five-week trial. He was also found guilty of participating in gang-related murders, sex trafficking of a minor, and witness intimidation.
Sabraw ordered Ross to pay $42,803 to the California victim’s compensation board and a separate victim. It is expected he will share this restitution amount with the three others who were convicted in the same trial. Link fined him $6,524.
Attorney Michael Berg, who represents Ross in the federal case, wrote in court documents that Ross walked through gang territories on his way to school. At age 12, Ross got involved in gang activities and moved out on his own at age 14, Berg wrote.
Ross was charged with 36 others in federal court in 2014, and 34 people have pleaded guilty and received assorted sentences. Two others were convicted in single trials.
