Man convicted of sending his son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock sentenced to 31 years to life in prison

COMPTON, Calif. — A man convicted of sending his 17-year-old son to a restaurant to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock was sentenced Monday to 31 years to life in prison.

Judge Connie Quinones sentenced Freddie Trone, 42, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. A jury on Aug. 7 convicted Trone of one count of murder, two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Both sides in Trone’s trial agreed that the teen entered Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles restaurant in South Los Angeles in September 2022 and shot the Philadelphia hip-hop star, whose legal name is Rakim Allen, while stealing his jewelry while he was eating with the mother of his 4-year-old daughter.

The prosecution said he was acting on orders from his father, while the defense, which plans to appeal, said Trone was merely an accessory after the fact.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans of Rakim Allen,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “His life was cut short by an act of violence that no family should have to endure.”

PnB Rock’s mother, Deannea Allen, traveled from their hometown of Philadelphia to deliver a statement in the Compton courtroom.

“I don’t understand how a parent could directly put their child in harm’s way. I just can’t understand it. That action had a domino effect and ruined so many lives,” Deannea Allen said, according to Rolling Stone. “Rakim was the shining light in our family. He was a star to us.”

Trone’s son, now 19, has also been charged with murder but is currently in the juvenile court system. A judge has ruled he is not currently competent to stand trial.

The Associated Press generally does not name minors accused of crimes.

Trone’s attorney, Winston McKesson, plans to appeal the verdict and request a new trial.

“There’s no evidence that he conspired to commit murder,” McKesson told the AP after the verdict in August. “There’s no evidence that there was a conversation about murder, no evidence that there was a conversation about a gun.”

PnB Rock was best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and for guest appearances on other artists’ songs such as YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” featuring Chance the Rapper. He was 30 years old.