A Williamsburg man was one of three men convicted Wednesday in connection with the 2009 death of a Newport News drug dealer.
A jury convicted Mark Wallace, 36, of Williamsburg; Bryan Brown, 30, of Newport News; and Joseph Benson, 35, of Dorchester, Mass., of use of a firearm resulting in the death of Newport News resident Louis E. Joseph Jr. during a drug robbery, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
The three men face up to life in prison.
According to court documents, Wallace recruited Benson, who traveled from Massachusetts to Virginia to help commit the drug robbery.
During the robbery on March 13, 2009, Benson and “another individual” entered the home and murdered Joseph, shooting him multiple times.
Investigators believe the men pried open the front storm door of the house, then kicked in the main front door, according to a criminal complaint.
Evidence suggests the men beat Joseph in the living room after they broke in, then shot him in the den. After being injured, Joseph dragged himself out to the back deck, the complaint states.
“Joseph died from between five and six gunshot wounds to the torso and thighs. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide,” the complaint says.
Wallace waited in the car while the robbery took place, the release said.
Investigators linked Benson to the crime scene through DNA evidence.
Brown helped transport the murder weapons to New York, where they were recovered through an undercover operation, the Justice Department said.
Brown’s sentencing is scheduled for July 19, Benson’s for July 24 and Wallace’s for August 6, 2018.
WYDaily archives were used in this story.
