OAKLAND -- An Oakland man faces a possible death sentence after jurors convicted him Wednesday of four murder charges, two attempted murder charges and 19 other felonies stemming from a crime spree in late 2002 and early 2003.

Demarcus Ralls, 21, will face a separate penalty phase starting next week because jurors also convicted him of two special circumstances: multiple murder and committing a murder during the course of a robbery.

At the conclusion of the penalty phase, which begins Tuesday, the same jurors will choose between recommending either the death penalty or life in prison without parole. The penalty phase is expected to last two weeks.

Ralls was one of a group of six people who called themselves the "Nut Cases" because authorities said they engaged in the crime spree that terrorized Oakland over a six-week period mainly for thrills. Some members of the group sported tattoos of the Planters "Mr. Peanut" logo.

Oakland police said several suspects told investigators that the gang often played the video game "Grand Theft Auto III" in which players are awarded points for committing crimes such as murders, robberies and carjackings.

Ralls was the first of the "Nut Case" defendants to be prosecuted and the other five are expected to be tried later this year and next year.

Guarded by seven bailiffs and dressed in a black shirt and a yellow sweater, Ralls sat silently next two his two court-appointed attorneys and looked straight ahead as the clerk for Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Horner took 15 minutes to read all the guilty verdicts against him.

Jurors, who deliberated for the equivalent of eight full days spread over two weeks, convicted him of three counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, 17 counts of robbery, one count of kidnapping and one count of shooting into an inhabited dwelling.

In his closing argument two weeks ago, Ted Johnson, one of Ralls' attorneys, told jurors that although Ralls is guilty of many crimes he shouldn't be convicted of murder because he didn't fire the fatal shots in any of the four murders he is accused of committing.

But prosecutor Darryl Stallworth said "the overwhelming weight of the evidence" supported convicting Ralls of the murder charges and all the other charges in the case.

Horner has issued a gag order barring the attorneys in the case from commenting on the case.

At the penalty phase next week, Stallworth is expected to present aggravating evidence against Ralls such as other crimes and the impact his crimes have had on his victims and their families.

Defense attorneys will then present mitigating evidence, such as Ralls' difficult childhood after being born to a drug-addicted mother.

Closing arguments in the penalty phase are expected to begin April 3.

Ralls would be the youngest person on California's death row if he's sentenced to death.

All of the "Nut Case" defendants are related except for Leon "Twan" Wiley, 28, whom police called the ringleader of the group.

The others are Ralls' half-brothers, Joe Ralls, 29, and Jhomari "Corey" Sutton, 23, their cousin, Deonte "Oink" Donald, 20, and their sister-in-law, 28-year-old Aminah "Nay-Nay" Dorsey-Colbert.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Joe Ralls and Wiley in addition to Demarcus Ralls.