Conviction for Man who Planted Meth and Weapons in Victim’s Truck
Jennifer Michele Beale and Kevin Brown
SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has announced that Kevin Brown (44) of Laguna Hills was convicted of planting weapons and methamphetamine inside the bed of a woman’s truck and making false reports to law enforcement.
The August 30th felony and misdemeanor charges include violence, fraud or deceit, misdemeanor false report of emergency, and altering evidence. Sentencing enhancement includes prior prison for second degree burglary in Los Angeles in 2010.
Prosecutor Senior Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Nichols, Special Prosecutions Unit added that co-defendant Jennifer Michele Beale, 38, Laguna Hills, pleaded guilty to the same charges on August 3, 2016, and was sentenced to one year and four months in county jail.
On March 23, 2016, Beale and Brown conspired to plant a replica Sig Sauer BB gun, a 12-inch hunting knife, methamphetamine, a scale, small plastic bags, a note with names and dollar amounts, and a glass pipe in 40-year-old Jane Doe’s vehicle in order to get the victim arrested.
The defendants placed the meth and drug paraphernalia in a sunglasses case, and transported it along with the replica Sig Sauer BB gun, knife, and towel to Jane Doe’s home in Laguna. They placed the items in the bed of Jane Doe’s truck, returned to their vehicle, then left the scene.
At approximately 5:50 a.m. on March 24, 2016, Beale emailed Orange County Crime Stoppers and falsely reported that she saw Jane Doe arguing with someone and waving a gun around before placing the gun in the bed of her truck. Beale then called 911 and falsely reported that she saw Jane Doe waving a gun during an argument earlier in the morning before throwing the gun into the back of a truck.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) deputies responded to the victim’s home, found the items planted in the bed of her truck, then detained Jane Doe. The victim recognized that the sunglasses case belonged to Beale. OCSD investigated further, released Jane Doe at the scene, then arrested Beale and Brown on April 14, 2016.
Brown faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison, plus one year and six months in county jail.
