VIRGINIA BEACH — A 20-year-old shooter who murdered a man caught in the crossfires of an attempted robbery was sentenced to 41 years in prison on Wednesday.
Marquel Jordan Leary was sentenced to 76 years in prison with 35 years suspended by Virginia Beach Circuit Court Judge Steven Frucci. He pleaded guilty in July to shooting 19-year-old Taiwan Simon in the head during an attempted robbery near the Chatham Square Apartments.
In addition to first-degree murder, Leary also pleaded guilty to aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery, conspiracy and three counts of using a gun in the commission of a felony, according to documents filed in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
The attempted robbery happened in the early morning hours of July 20, 2016, when Leary, Sean Patterson, 20, Maurice Walters, 20, Casheon Jones, 20, and a juvenile decided to rob Frederico Roundtree of money and a gun at his apartment.
All five people have pleaded guilty to crimes associated with the attempted robbery.
Another man, 21-year-old Anton Nelson Joshua, was allegedly involved in the crime as well. He is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery, conspiracy and three counts of using a gun in the commission of a felony. His case is scheduled for a jury trial in Virginia Beach Circuit Court on Dec. 11.
The men planned the robbery hours after Leary and Roundtree got into a fight at Roundtree’s apartment on Overlook Court. Leary thought that Roundtree had stolen a gun from Walters and wanted revenge, court documents state.
Part of the plan was to send Patterson, Walters and the juvenile up to Roundtree’s apartment to smoke marijuana. Later, the group was going to give the signal to the other men that it was time to rob Roundtree, court documents state.
Before the robbery, Leary and Patterson talked with Simon, who was at the apartment with Roundtree. Simon told them not to come to the apartment or he would use his gun to stop them from robbing Roundtree, according to court documents.
When the robbers got to the apartment, they armed themselves with guns, masks and gloves. On their way into the apartment, some of the men passed Simon — in turn, the teenager told Roundtree he was going to be robbed, which led to a shootout.
Roundtree and Leary shot at each other outside of the apartment. Both men were injured, and Simon was shot in the head and killed, court documents state.
In an attempt to escape the situation, some of Leary’s co-defendants hid evidence — like guns, gloves and a clown mask they used in the attempted robbery — while others fled the scene, court documents state.
Leary’s sentencing came about three weeks after a preliminary hearing for his mother, Marie, who is accused of offering an undercover officer $2,500 to kill co-defendants and witnesses involved in Simon’s case.
She is charged with five counts of soliciting first-degree murder.
https://wydaily.com/2017/10/05/mother-accused-of-trying-to-pay-2500-for-hitman-in-connection-to-sons-murder-trial-nws/
