- Lewis County Sirens.com - https://lewiscountysirens.com -

Centralia’s “Spooker” gets extra prison time for assault due to gang affiliation

2013.0710.joshua.rhoades_2 [1]

Joshua D. C. Rhoades faces a judge in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The 32-year-old Centralia resident said to be the leader of the local LVL gang was sentenced today to a little more than nine years in prison for a roughly 30 to 40 second fight earlier this year on a Centralia street in which a 17-year-old boy was knocked unconscious.

Joshua Rhoades was convicted by a jury in April of second-degree assault.

His one-week-old baby boy was among a handful of family members and friends present during this morning’s proceedings in Lewis County Superior Court. They were out numbered by law enforcement officers in the courtroom.

Prosecutors said during his trial that Rhoades jumped out of a car, flashing gang signs and asking the teen and his two friends if they knew who he was and if they were  rival “Nortenos”. The teenager Dustin McLean testified Rhoades held a closed knife in his fist as he struck him.

The brief brawl in downtown Centralia on Jan 31 included two of Rhoades’ companions as well as at least two of the three boys. McLean said he was hit well over 20 times.

Defense attorney Chris Baum asked the judge today to give his client 65 months, the bottom of the standard sentencing range. The top was 82 months. Baum said there was a lot of discussion of gang activity by the prosecutor during the trial, but the injury itself not that serious and it was more like a misdemeanor assault.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke recommended the judge sentence Rhoades to the maximum of 10 years, noting the special finding by the jury allowed the judge to go above the standard range.

O’Rourke said Rhoades is well known to Centralia police, who say he is the leader of the LVL and that he assaulted the teenager without provocation.

LVL stands for Little Valley Locos or Little Valley Lokotes a gang locally made up mostly of individuals who grew up in Centralia when it was particularly active in the summer of 2007. Police say Rhoades goes by the street name Spooker.

“This is one of the few times a victim has been brave enough to come in and testify against Mr. Rhoades,” O’Rourke said.

She said the teen’s family has taken him out of school and moved away because he has been threatened, harassed and assaulted since the trial.

Rhoades maintained his innocence when asked by the judge if he wanted to make any statement.

“Well, Ms. O’Rourke, because of me being who I am or whatever, she had no problem offering me a plea bargain of 80 months,” Rhoades said.

Judge James Lawler gave Rhoades 10 months less than 10 years, so that he could also impose 10 months of supervision by the state Department of Corrections upon his release.

The basis for the exceptional sentence was because of the special gang finding by the jury, Lawler said.

The jury had found the assault was committed with a deadly weapon and also a so-called aggravator that the incident was intended to enhance Rhoades’ affiliation in a street gang.

Rhoades previous most recent criminal convictions are for malicious mischief in 2008 and third-degree assault in 2004. Before that, he has convictions for intimidating a witness and theft in 2000 and a second-degree assault in 1999, and then a juvenile record.

His attorney filed a notice of appeal.
•••

For background, read “Lewis County jury convicts Centralia gang member of assault on teen” from Friday April 26, 2013, here [2]