Anthony Thomas, one of three suspects charged in connection with the 2011 shooting death of 71-year-old Solomon Reese, pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter while armed and related robbery offenses.
Prosecutors read the plea agreement and proffer of facts Friday during a sealed bench conference between Judge Herbert Dixon, Thomas, and counsel from both sides.
“We’re trying to keep people from getting killed,” prosecutor Gary Wheeler said Friday.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s office said no plea documents are public for this case.
Police found Reese June 27, 2011 at approximately 9:31 p.m. in his apartment on the 2300 block of Good Hope Road Southeast suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Thomas, 25, was arrested one month later and charged with first-degree felony murder in connection with Reese’s death. Codefendants, Stephen Page and James Brewer, were arrested several weeks before Thomas and also charged with Reese’s murder.
Charging documents allege that Thomas, Brewer, Page and a fourth person had conspired to rob Reese at his apartment. Reese was shot in the course of the robbery, and cigarettes and two leather bags were taken, documents state.
The three codefendants were indicted last year on 13 counts of first-degree felony murder, obstruction, conspiracy, burglary and armed robbery of a senior citizen, court documents state.
A superseding indictment alleged that Thomas, Page and Brewer met on July 9, 2011 to discuss the case prosecutors had against them. In that conversation, the three conspired the murder of Dwight Hicks, who they thought could provide information about the case to police. The following morning, Hicks was found shot in Capitol Heights, Md. at around 12:42 a.m., court documents state.
The case is scheduled for a status hearing December 3 with Judge Dixon.
