Office of the District Attorney - Maggie Fleming, District Attorney
NEWS RELEASE
September 11, 2017
Today, 25-year-old Anthony Manuel Burgess was sentenced to 7 years in state prison after pleading guilty to using a firearm during the commission of a robbery in Eureka on August 10, 2017. Burgess is a member of the Sureño gang, known by the gang moniker, “Creeper.” On August 9, 2017, the victim of the robbery met a man, later identified as Riordan Eugene Cockrum, near Wabash and B Street in Eureka. The victim arranged with Cockrum to meet the next day at Hammond Park in order to sell him 2 pounds of marijuana. When the victim arrived for the meeting, Cockrum was accompanied by Burgess. After the meeting began, Burgess held a gun to the victim’s head and demanded the marijuana. After the robbery, Burgess and Cockrum fled on foot and the victim called 911. In response to the call, Eureka Police Department officers quickly apprehended Cockrum but Burgess was not found. The victim later identified Burgess in a photo lineup. On August 27, 2017, California Highway Patrol officers arrested Burgess after he fled on foot from a traffic stop.