Author, Ex-Gang Member Convicted

A former Los Angeles gang member who rose to fame with a tell-all book has been found guilty of robbing a Temecula, Calif., department store.

Colton Simpson, a former member of the Crips gang and author of 2005 book Inside the Crips: Life Inside L.A.’s Most Notorious Gang, was convicted of planning and driving the getaway car for the March 17, 2003, jewelry heist at Robinsons-May Co., the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

The driver led police on a high speed freeway chase following the robbery, prosecutors said.

Simpson’s 10 previous convictions for serious crimes could earn him life in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 28.

I think there were holes in both cases, but I think there was reasonable doubt, said Simpson’s attorney, Richard Briones-Colman. It was obviously damaging when the book came into evidence.

The prosecution read passages from the book that dealt with Simpson’s history with robbery.

I love doing jewelry licks … It gets so I go in alone, ask to see a Rolex, grab two, dash out the store, turn them around, and have $8,000 stuffed in my pocket, Simpson wrote in the book.