Enlarge / An Oakland Police patrol car sits in front of the Oakland Police headquarters on December 6, 2012. (credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News)

OAKLAND, Calif.—The three final co-defendants who pleaded guilty to a 2013 attempted murder of a local police officer have been given sentences ranging from 18 years to 23 years in prison. A fourth co-defendant, Damien McDaniel, was sentenced to 33 years in September 2017.

On Wednesday afternoon, US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ordered the lead defendant, Purvis Ellis, to 20 years in prison. Ars chronicled the Ellis case more than two years ago in a lengthy feature and described how Ellis was located via the use of cell-site simulators. These devices, which spoof ordinary cell towers, are often used by police to locate criminal suspects. However, in recent years, judges nationwide have increasingly scrutinized use of the surveillance tool.

Ellis apologized to the court and to the judge.