The three allegedly plotted to stage a drug buy, then rob the dealer of his drugs. Police say a 19-year-old woman arranged the meeting through social media. When the alleged drug dealer arrived at the house, the woman and another suspect reportedly took him to a bedroom while the third suspect remained in the living room. An argument quickly ensued from the bedroom, and shots were fired, wounding the victim in both legs.
As the man attempted to escape the house, the third suspect is said to have kicked him in the head and demanded the drugs, which he surrendered. The girlfriend of the gunshot victim took him to the hospital. Tennessee police were quick to arrest the three accused in the incident. Each was charged with especially aggravated robbery, which is a Class A felony. In addition, they also face Class C and B charges of aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy.
The three accused of these crimes are all under the age of 27. If convicted of these felonies, they could potentially spend most of their lives in prison. Those accused of serious crimes benefit from the assistance of a lawyer. A criminal defense attorney may work to reduce the charges, to have the more serious charges dropped as part of a plea deal or to contest the accusations vigorously at trial.
Source: oak ridge today, “Robbery that ends in shooting arranged through social media, described as ‘drug deal gone bad,’ warrants say“, John Huotari, Nov. 17, 2016