Verdict
Followed 2 ½–Month Trial Covering Series of Crimes that Ended With Mass
Shootings on South Capitol Street
WASHINGTON — Five men were convicted by
a jury today of murder, conspiracy, and other charges for a series of violent
crimes that culminated on the night of March 30, 2010 with a deadly mass
shooting on South Capitol Street, announced U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.
and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants, all from Washington,
D.C., include: Sanquan Carter, 21, also known as “Bootsie;” his brother,
Orlando Carter, 22, also known as “Lando” or “Dough;” Jeffrey D. Best, 23, also
known as “Dro,” “Little Dro,” or “J.B.;” Robert Bost, 23, also known as “Little
Rob” or “Chuck,” and Lamar J. Williams, 23, also known as “Neph” or Nephew.
The verdicts were returned following a 2
½–month trial and more than a week of deliberations in the Superior Court of
the District of Columbia. More than 100 witnesses testified during the trial,
and the government introduced more than 1,000 exhibits. The Honorable Ronna L.
Beck scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2012. Sanquan Carter and Lamar Williams
could be sentenced to prison for the rest of their lives. Orlando Carter, Best
and Bost face maximum sentences of life in prison with no possibility of
release.
All five of the defendants have been in
custody since their arrests in 2010.
The trial focused on a series of violent
incidents that occurred within just eight days: the Monday, March 22, 2010
murder of Jordan Howe, and the shooting of two other individuals in the 1300
block of Alabama Avenue SE; the Tuesday, March 23, 2010 shooting of defendant
Orlando Carter in the area of 6th and Chesapeake Streets SE, and the four
murders and other shootings that occurred on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, including
the drive–by attack on South Capitol Street.
All told, the violence included five
murders and nine shootings that did not result in death. In addition to Mr.
Howe, 20, the murder victims included Tavon Nelson, 17; Brishell Jones, 16;
Davaughn Boyd, 18 and William Jones, 19. Eight other people, all in their teens
or 20s, were shot, and the bullets missed another teenager by mere inches.
“Just over two years ago, the defendants
in this case unleashed a series of senseless attacks that ultimately ended five
young lives,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “One young man was killed over a
bracelet. Another was killed in an attempted robbery. And then three more of
our young people were killed, and six more were wounded, in one of the largest
mass shootings in our city’s history. The victims who were shot in that attack
on South Capitol Street were targeted for doing nothing more than mourning the
loss of a murdered friend. I can only hope that today’s guilty verdicts bring
some measure of comfort and peace to the grieving parents who lost their loved
ones in these heinous crimes. Today’s verdicts are a testament to the strength
and resilience of our community and a warning to those who wish to take the law
into their own hands – ’you will forfeit your freedom by engaging in needless
acts of violence.’”
“This horrendous crime left an indelible
imprint on our communities,” said Chief Lanier. “I witnessed firsthand the
aftermath of that night and the inconceivable agony on the faces of the
victims’ loved ones. The criminals who committed these horrible acts had no
regard for life and they must pay for what they have done.”
According to the government’s evidence,
the events began late March 21, 2010, when, after having sex with a 15–year–old
girl, Sanquan Carter discovered that a gold–colored bracelet he had been
wearing that evening was missing. Enraged, he called his brother, and he,
Orlando Carter, Best, Williams, and Nathaniel Simms, 28, conspired to assault
and kill people mistakenly believed to have stolen the bracelet. Orlando Carter
secured firearms from Williams, and he, Best and Simms set out to meet Sanquan
Carter in the 1300 block of Alabama Avenue.
At about 12:30 a.m. on March 22, 2010,
both Carters and Best opened fire on a group of people gathered there, using an
AK–47, a pump–action shotgun and a pistol. Mr. Howe was killed and two other
young men, then 15 and 22, were wounded.
Evidence showed that 33 shots were fired
in the attack on Alabama Avenue, including 28 from the AK–47. Additionally,
three unfired 12–gauge shotgun shells were ejected as Best attempted to fire
the pump–action shotgun.
Sanquan Carter was arrested and detained
on March 23, 2010. He was not charged with any of the crimes that followed.
According to evidence presented during
the trial, the killing of Mr. Howe led Mr. Howe’s associates to carry out the
retaliatory shooting of Orlando Carter at about 6 p.m. March 23, 2010, in the
area of 6th and Chesapeake Streets SE. One shot hit Orlando Carter in the
shoulder and the other grazed his head. Orlando Carter was hospitalized but
soon released, and, according to the government’s evidence, he immediately
began planning to exact revenge.
For several days, the government’s
evidence showed, Orlando Carter sought information about Mr. Howe’s funeral,
with plans to attack those in attendance. Eventually, on Sunday, March 28,
2010, Orlando Carter got a three–word text message: “Funeral on Tuesday.”
Orlando Carter initially planned for he
and his co–conspirators to appear at the March 30, 2010 funeral service for Mr.
Howe and to shoot and kill as many friends and associates of Mr. Howe as they
could. Plans did not materialize as expected because it took longer than
anticipated to secure the rental of a minivan that would be used in the
drive–by attack. Even though they missed the funeral, the defendants still
moved forward with their violent agenda.
The first shooting on the night of March
30 took place at about 7:20 in the unit block of Galveston Street SW. According
to the government’s evidence, Mr. Nelson was shot in an attempted robbery aimed
at stealing a gun he was known to carry.
About five minutes after those shots
rang out, Orlando Carter, Best, Bost and Simms headed to South Capitol Street,
where they came upon a group of young people mourning the loss of Mr. Howe.
Several were wearing shirts memorializing Mr. Howe. Orlando Carter drove by
that location, made a U Turn, and then, wearing ninja–style masks, the men
returned to the scene. As the minivan approached the crowd, Orlando Carter
electronically lowered the windows of the minivan. He brought the vehicle to a
complete stop as Best, Bost and Simms opened fire. The gunfire led to the
deaths of Ms. Jones, Mr. Boyd, and Mr. Jones, the injuries of six others, and
the near–miss on a teenage girl.
During the trial, the government
presented evidence about two conspiracies: one involving the events of March 21
and March 22, 2010, and the other involving the events from March 23 through
March 30, 2010.
Simms pled guilty in April 2010 to two
counts of conspiracy to commit murder and five counts of second–degree murder
while armed. He is awaiting sentencing.
Sanquan Carter was convicted of 15
charges involving events of March 21 and March 22, 2010, including one count of
conspiracy, one count of first–degree premeditated murder while armed of Mr.
Howe, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other
offenses. Orlando Carter was convicted of 50 counts involving events from March
21 through March 30, 2010, including two counts of conspiracy, five counts of
first–degree premeditated murder while armed in the deaths of Mr. Howe, Mr.
Nelson, Ms. Jones, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Jones, nine counts of assault with intent
to kill while armed, and other offenses.
Jeffrey Best was convicted of 47 counts,
involving events from March 21 through March 30, 2010, including two counts of
conspiracy, five counts of first–degree premeditated murder while armed in the
deaths of Mr. Howe, Mr. Nelson, Ms. Jones, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Jones, nine counts
of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other offenses.
Robert Bost was convicted of 34 counts
involving events from March 23 through March 30, 2010, including one count of
conspiracy, four counts of first–degree premeditated murder while armed in the
deaths of Mr. Nelson, Ms. Jones, Mr. Boyd and Mr. Jones, seven counts of
assault with intent to kill while armed, and other offenses.
Lamar Williams was convicted of 28
charges involving events from March 23 through March 30, 2010, including one
count of conspiracy, three counts of second–degree murder while armed, seven
counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other offenses. The jury
acquitted Williams of a second charge of conspiracy, the murder of Mr. Howe,
and related charges stemming from the events of March 21 and March 22.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S.
Attorney Machen and Chief Lanier thanked all of those who worked on the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and MPD were assisted by numerous law enforcement
agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives,
the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals
Service, and the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County, Maryland.
Mr. Machen and Chief Lanier expressed
special appreciation to the following individuals, whose efforts were instrumental
in securing justice in this case:
MPD Major Case Squad: Det. Sgt. James C.
Young and Detectives Oliver Garvey, Susan Blue–Stanton (retired), Mitchell
Credle, Jeffery Mayberry, Jeffrey Owens, Darryl Richmond, and Eduardo Voysest.
MPD Violent Crime Detectives – Squad #3:
Detectives Anthony Patterson, Sean Caine, Anthony Paci, and Michael Fulton.
MPD Seventh District: Officers Luke
Foskett, Nefetia Turner, Christopher Dyke, Jeremy Bank, Daniel Egbert, and
Brian Brown.
Other MPD Officers: Detectives Steve
Manley (Narcotics and Special Investigations Division), Canine Officer Kelvin
Dyson, and Officer Thomas Crabb (Special Operations Division – Air Support
Unit).
MPD Evidence Technicians: Technicians
Curtis Lancaster, Julius D. Smith, Ralph Nitz, and Tina Ramadhan.
ATF: Rich Marianos, Assistant Special
Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division, Pete Muldoon, Group
Supervisor, Special Agent Shannon Day–Hill, Special Agent Willette Linton, and
Special Agent Alex Schmidt.
DEA: Peter Kim, Supervisor of Group 32,
and Special Agent Steve Aziz, along with MPD members Investigator Mike
Iannacchione, Sgt. J.J. Brennan, and Albert Sabir.
U.S. Secret Service: Alice C. Thomas,
Imaging and Audio Specialist.
U.S. Marshals Service Warrant Squad
(Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force): Sgt. George (“Butch”) Darley,
Detective Jack Reese, and Deputy U.S. Marshals James Cyphers, Avon Jackson,
Kevin Smith, and Willard King.
U.S. Marshals Service – Courtroom
Deputies: Deputy in Charge Christopher Perez, Assistant Deputy in Charge Ryan
Godec, Deputies Chad Boyce, Michael Six, Aaron Decicco, Thomas Faherty, and
Jeffrey Burke.
Washington/Baltimore HIDTA: Intelligence
Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s
Office: John J. McCarthy, State’s Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland, and
Deputy State’s Attorneys Mary Herdman and Sherri Koch.
U.S. Attorney’s Office: Roy McLeese III,
Chief of the Appellate Division; Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and
Forensic Evidence Litigation; Mary McCord, Acting Chief of the Criminal
Divison, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, John Gidez, Christopher
Kavanaugh, Trena Carrington, and Crystal Evans; Victim/Witness Specialists
Marcia Rinker, Jennifer Clark, and Michael Hailey; Paralegals Kwasi Fields,
Wanda Queen, Delissa Rivers, Meredith McGarrity, Kelly Blakeney, Deborah
Joyner, Mary Treanor, Margaret McCabe and Benjamin Kagan–Guthrie, Litigation
Technology Specialists Joe Calvarese and Leif Hickling, and Criminal
Investigator Durand Odom.
Finally, they commended the efforts of
those who have worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Brittin, Bruce R. Hegyi and Adam B.
Schwartz, who prosecuted the case.
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