3 Big Money Bandit convicts to appeal

A dropped case in a separate bank robbery could play a role because prosecutors in that case couldn’t corroborate a key informant’s testimony

By Nick Wilson

Three men sentenced in June for conspiring to rob a San Luis Obispo bank are appealing their convictions, according to court officials.

Shawn Quinney, Damorial Lovely and Rodney Mitchell, all from the Los Angeles area, filed notices of appeal after being sentenced for conspiring to rob the Los Padres Bank branch on Dec. 13.

Three other men convicted of the same charges — Leonard Jones, Ronald Simpson and Lionel Woods — could appeal their convictions as well. Their sentencing hearings haven’t yet taken place.

The six were found guilty on June 4.

The men’s defense attorneys say a dropped case against a man accused in a November bank robbery in San Luis Obispo could play a role in the appeals.

The District Attorney’s Office dismissed four counts of second-degree robbery against Ean Domingo last week when prosecutors said they couldn’t match evidence with statements made by police informant Karl Jones, who was a key part of the prosecution’s case against the six.

Domingo was accused of holding up Downey Savings and Loan in San Luis Obispo on Nov. 21 with Leonard Jones and Dejuan Javier.

Javier was convicted for his role in the $12,000 robbery.

The jury in the Dec. 13 conspiracy case against the six men heard evidence from the November incident against Leonard Jones, whom police identified as the ringleader in both.