NEWPORT NEWS — A man was sentenced Thursday to 45 years in prison for his role in a 2009 murder here.
Bryan Lamar Brown, 31, of Newport News, was convicted following a jury trial on April 17, along with co-defendants Mark Xavier Wallace of Williamsburg, and Joseph James Cain Benson of Boston, for their respective roles in the 2009 killing of Louis Joseph Jr.
According to court documents, Joseph was beaten and shot multiple times at his Denbigh home while he babysat a 5-year-old child.
Brown, Benson and Wallace planned to commit a home invasion of Joseph to steal money and drugs, federal prosecutors said.
Brown took Benson and Wallace to Joseph’s house and also supplied the two firearms to commit the crime.
After the murder, Brown drove the pair away from the scene. Shortly thereafter, Brown had the firearms used in the murder taken to New York City to be sold, prosecutors said.
“Unbeknownst to Brown, law enforcement had a court authorized wiretap and overheard Brown setting up the deal to get rid of the murder weapons,” prosecutors said in a news release.
Benson and Wallace are scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and Aug. 6, respectively.
