A convicted felon accused with two other men of gunning down a former boxer and wounding two boys in an attack in Moreno Valley is due in court Thursday for a felony settlement conference.
Joseph Lewis Goldsmith, 28, of Riverside surrendered to authorities Monday and is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and sentence-enhancing gun use allegations. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and other charges.
Goldsmith had been the focus of a manhunt after a warrant was issued for his arrest a week following the Sept. 7 slaying of 22-year-old Daniel Gonzalez of Moreno Valley. The defendant turned himself in at the sheriff’s Moreno Valley station without incident.
He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for early Thursday afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice. A felony settlement conference allows the attorneys in a case to exchange information and attempt to negotiate a disposition. If no agreement is reached, a date is then set for a preliminary hearing, at which the judge hears evidence and decides if there are grounds for trial.
Goldsmith’s co-defendants are 27-year-old Andre Dimitri Richee and 32-year-old Lee Albert Mooring, both of Moreno Valley. They’re charged almost identically, except Richee is additionally facing an allegation of shooting at an inhabited structure. He’s slated to be arraigned before Magno Thursday, when he’ll say how he wishes to plead.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, detectives quickly developed leads on the defendants’ identities following the shooting in the 22900 block of Allies Place, near Courage Street. He alleged that the assailants arrived in a Chevrolet Cruze and opened fire on Gonzalez and two teenagers, as well as a bystander, killing Gonzalez on the spot.
The two boys suffered non-life-threatening wounds and were treated at nearby Riverside University Medical Center. They’re recovering, according to the sergeant. The bystander was not hit.
A possible motive for the attack has not been disclosed.
The defendants fled immediately after the shooting, but investigators collected evidence at the scene and elsewhere in the city that ultimately pointed to them as the perpetrators, Ramirez alleged.
Mooring was taken into custody without incident on Sept. 9, and Richee was arrested uneventfully the following day.
Gonzalez was a welterweight who fought in the legendary Floyd Mayweather’s stable. The victim won his professional debut in a four-round unanimous decision on Aug. 27, 2016, and two fights by decision in 2016 and 2017.
According to court records, Goldsmith has prior convictions for possession of controlled substances for sale, illegal possession of a firearm and driving without a license.
Records show Mooring has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, gang activity and possession of controlled substances for sale, while Richee has priors for possession of illegal drugs, vandalism and knowingly violating a court protective order.
All three defendants are being held in lieu of $1 million bail — Goldsmith and Richee at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, and Mooring at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
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