Two members of the notorious Hoover Criminal Gang were arrested in Portland, Oregon, after being charged with illegal firearm possession, authorities announced.
Samuel Deoshay Marquise Mason, Jr., 24, and Cocoa Dalonta Taplin, 26, both residents of Portland, were charged with illegally possessing firearms after previous criminal convictions.
A federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment against Mason and Taplin on April 6, 2021.
According to court documents and testimony, law enforcement obtained several images of Mason posing with numerous firearms, leading investigators to obtain and execute a search warrant on his residence.
Investigators located an assault rifle and 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. Both firearms were fully loaded with rounds in the chamber.
A subsequent search of Mason’s mobile phone revealed photos of Taplin holding and posing with two firearms three days prior to the search.
Mason confessed to possessing the seized firearms. He also admitted to being shot at the week prior and firing one round in return from a third unknown gun.
Mason and Taplin made their initial appearances in federal court today, where they were arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Gresham Police Department, and FBI.
It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.
Defendant(s): Samuel Deoshay Marquise Mason, Jr., Cocoa Dalonta Taplin
Criminal Charge(s): Two-count indictment charging with illegally possessing firearms after previous criminal convictions
City, State: Portland, Oregon
Case Date: April 6, 2021
Status: Pending
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- Dana Lee Johnson, Meth and Gun Possession, Oregon 2023 · Idaho
- Donald Leroy Smith Jr, Threatened U.S. Senators Life, Oregon 2000 · Washington
- An Oregon Man Threatens to Execute a U.S. Senator, Woodburn OR, 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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