Lancaster Man Found Guilty of Shooting Victim to Death During Inglewood Marijuana Deal

LOS ANGELES - An Antelope Valley man was found guilty by a jury today of shooting a victim to death during a marijuana deal in Inglewood in 2021.

Leandrew Raglin, 22, of Lancaster, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of possessing, using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, resulting in death constituting murder.

According to evidence presented at an eight-day trial, Raglin and co-defendants Mateo Paul, 23, of Long Beach, Iysis Elanore Smith, 22, of Inglewood, agreed to rob a marijuana dealer at gunpoint. They devised a plan to lure the dealer via a social media application to a meeting location, where they would ambush him at gunpoint and steal his marijuana.

On March 15, 2021, Smith approached the vehicle occupied by the victim. While Smith distracted the victim, Paul and Raglin parked behind the victim's vehicle. Raglin then exited the vehicle Paul was driving, approached the passenger side of the victim's car and opened fire, repeatedly wounding the victim in the passenger seat. Raglin then walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle and opened fire, fatally wounding the victim in the driver's seat of the vehicle.

United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled a March 13, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Raglin, who has been in federal custody since October 2023, will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Paul pleaded guilty on February 18 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Paul, who has been in custody since November 2023, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26. Smith also has pleaded guilty to felony robbery charges in this case.

Both Paul and Smith face potential sentences of life in federal prison.

The FBI and the Inglewood Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell of the Major Crimes Section and Gregg Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.