ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson was joined by Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der, and Sheriff Marcus Harris to provide an update regarding the “59 Hoover Criminal Gang” case. A Howard County jury has found 36-year-old Jeremi Quentin Lewis guilty of 1st-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of 21-year-old Jaden Ealey and eight other crimes stemming from his leadership of a criminal organization that occurred from May 2020 to March 2022.
“Thanks to the tremendous work of our law enforcement officers and our judicial system, our community is a little safer today,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. “We will not tolerate violent crimes that terrorize our neighbors. Thank you to our Howard County Police Department, Howard County Sheriff’s Office and Howard County State’s Attorney’s office for their combined efforts to hold the responsible parties accountable.”
On the evening of May 30, 2021, Howard County police were called to the 6000 block of Foreland Garth for a report of shots fired. Officers located Ealey behind the Exxon gas station suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in critical condition and later died on June 11th, 2021.
“Our office is grateful to all our partners who helped make this result possible and to the jury who carefully weighed all the evidence in this case after a three-week trial,” said State’s Attorney Rich Gibson. “We also want to thank the community for helping us identify these types of crimes by reporting suspicious behavior to police. And finally, our heart goes out to everyone who was harmed by the defendants of this criminal gang organization and in particular, Mr. Ealey’s family who have had to deal with the unbearable loss of their beloved family member at the tender age of 21 years old.”
According to the Howard County Police Department (HCPD), Lewis was a leader in the “59 Hoover Criminal Gang” organization. His sentencing date is scheduled for May 1, 2024, where he is facing a potential maximum sentence of life without parole plus 100 years. Seven other gang members have already been convicted for various crimes after their pleas of guilty. Their sentences range from 4 to 18 years. Only one other defendant is awaiting sentencing.
The seven convicted members include:
– Terrence N. Hux
– Daquan A. Woodson
– Antonio M. Haywood
– Justin D. Harper
– Tavon Hawkins
– David A. Wainwright, Jr.
– Anthony S. Jenkins
The investigation began in 2020 when police determined it was the same group of people committing the most serious crimes around the county. The HCPD, in collaboration with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, approached the State’s Attorney’s Office to form a partnership that would become known as the Violent Crimes Reduction Initiative, and then the Crime Reduction Teams. Their work culminated in the indictment of the eight gang members in March 2022.
“The police department wants to thank State’s Attorney Richard Gibson and his team for their partnership and commitment to bringing these critical cases to justice,” said Police Chief Gregory Der. “In Howard County, our priority is to make our streets as safe as possible. This can only be achieved with collaborations among police, prosecutors, our supportive administration and County Executive Calvin Ball.”
“This trial exemplifies the power of collaboration,” stated Sheriff Marcus Harris. “From the diligent work of law enforcement to the skillful prosecution by the State’s Attorney’s Office, every individual played a critical role in bringing these individuals to justice.”
Some of the criminal acts committed by members of the “59 Hoover Criminal Gang” were designed to establish dominance and take control over territories in Columbia. The members also sold illegally controlled substances and kept firearms in their possession to use in violent crimes.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys’ Natasha M. Byus and Jonathon R. Church prosecuted this case.
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More News: HCPD Daily Update for Monday, 2/13/2024
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More News: Press Conference Video: Gibson Announces Verdict on Criminal Gang
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