Jonathan Mota Gets Life for Killing Clerk in 2013 Robbery

Jonathan Mota, 34, of Lake County, California, is headed to federal prison for life plus 10 years after being sentenced in Oakland for the cold-blooded murder of convenience store clerk Forrest Seagrave during a 2013 robbery. The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, marks the end of a years-long legal battle that began the moment surveillance footage captured Mota stepping over Seagrave’s bleeding body to steal cash from the register.

On January 18, 2013, Mota, a convicted felon, parked a stolen vehicle near the Mount Konocti Gas & Mart in Kelseyville, California, and entered the store armed with a silver handgun. Wearing a hoodie, ski mask, baggy jeans, and gloves, he attempted to conceal his identity as he moved to rob the business. Seagrave, who was mopping and preparing to close, had no idea Mota was armed when he confronted him — a split-second decision that cost him his life.

Witnesses and video evidence presented during a four-week trial in 2016 showed Mota shooting Seagrave in the neck at close range. The clerk collapsed and bled to death on the store floor as Mota calmly retrieved money from the register. The footage, described by prosecutors as ‘chilling and unrelenting,’ played a pivotal role in the jury’s decision to convict Mota on all counts.

On June 27, 2013, a federal grand jury indicted Mota on three charges: Hobbs Act robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a); use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to that robbery under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c); and use of a firearm resulting in murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j). On July 6, 2016, after a trial before Judge Tigar, a federal jury found Mota guilty on all counts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch and ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder confirmed the sentencing, emphasizing that violent crime carries steep consequences, especially when firearms are involved. ‘This was not just a robbery — it was a murder fueled by greed and callousness,’ Stretch said. ‘Justice for Forrest Seagrave has been served.’

The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Damali Taylor and Sarah Hawkins, with investigative support from Kurt Kosek. The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Mota will serve his life sentence without the possibility of parole, plus an additional consecutive 10 years for firearm charges.