SAN DIEGO — A San Diego man who once faced life in prison after being falsely accused of being a gang member is now looking at a much brighter future: life after graduating from college.
Aaron Harvey and his brother were caught in a gang conspiracy case seven years ago and now they’re both on a much different path.
CA Penal code 182.5 says active gang members can be charged in crimes even if they weren’t involved. That’s how the San Diego District Attorney at the time brought charges against the Harvey brothers and 31 others.
“It was scary, but in the beginning, I thought I was going to be released. It must be a mix-up. I have a common name,” said Aaron Harvey.
There was no mix-up.
In 2014, Aaron Harvey had been living in Las Vegas for two years when he said US Marshals arrested him for a gang conspiracy case in San Diego. Harvey’s parents still lived in the Lincoln Park neighborhood he grew up in. He was charged with nine gang-related shootings and faced 56 years to life in prison.
“They associated me with the gang because I lived in the community. So, they say I benefitted from these crimes,” Harvey said.
Harvey and rapper Brandon “Tiny Doo” Duncan fought the case.
After spending eight months behind bars, a judge dismissed all charges against both men in 2015 for a lack of evidence. They filed a civil suit and last year, the City agreed to pay them $1.5 million, money they will share.
“The money, it’s blood money, honestly. I’ll be happy to give that money back if I could just have seven years of my life back,” Harvey said.
Aaron’s brother Alonzo, was also arrested in the same conspiracy case. After fighting for two years, he said he accepted a 3-year probation to get his life back.
“I feel like I need to stick my neck out there and continue this fight. So I enrolled. I’m at Berkeley. I decided to go to school, get into law school and combat these injustices,” Alonzo Harvey said.
Alonzo will be a sophomore at Berkeley in the fall. Aaron said he will take a year off before he begins applying to law school.
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