May 8, 2023

April 2023 – in which we celebrated National Victims Rights Week – was another busy month for your District Attorney’s office, with indictments, transfers of defendants from juvenile to

Of particular note:adult court, convictions, and sentencings at Caddo Parish District Court and Caddo Parish Juvenile Court.

 

The Caddo Parish Grand Jury charged three Shreveport men, two of them teens, with murders in two separate indictments returned April 19.

 

Caleb Gray, 15, and Dakari Roberts, 17, were charged in one indictment, case No. 394105, in connection with the February 23 slaying of Ahmadzion’dre Bailey. Mr. Bailey, 19, was found suffering from several bullet wounds on the pavement in the 3600 block of Michigan Boulevard by Shreveport police officers responding to reports of gunfire. He was transported to Ochsner LSU Health hospital, where he perished.

 

Michael Rachal, 20, is charged in case No. 393777, in connection with the September 7, 2022 slaying of Markaree Samone Rayson. Ms. Rayson, 21, was found dead of gunshot wounds in the 800 block of Wyngate Circle in the Cedar Grove neighborhood by Shreveport Police responding to reports of gunfire.

 

Gray’s case was transferred from juvenile court to Caddo District Court following a hearing, under applicable provisions of Louisiana law.

 

Our office also secured numerous convictions, accepted guilty pleas and saw many convicted of crimes sentenced for their misdeeds:

* A teen found to be fit for trial as an adult in a recent continued custody hearing in Juvenile Court will in fact face adult felony charges.

 

An order to transfer Kentravious Kennedy, 17, from the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center to Caddo Correctional Center was signed earlier this month by District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.

 

Probable cause was found in juvenile court April 10, for Kennedy to be prosecuted in the adult venue for attempted second-degree murder in connection with the March 26 shooting of Brandon McDonald near the Shreveport Rescue Mission.

 

Mr. McDonald was shot while exiting a recording studio near the mission. He suffered a gunshot wound to his chest.

 

The Shreveport Police investigation uncovered a video of Kennedy driving up to the Shreveport Rescue Mission in a stolen blue Honda Accord, exiting the vehicle with a firearm and firing upon the victim.

 

The Louisiana Children’s Code, Article 305, provides for the divestiture of juvenile court jurisdiction upon review by the District Attorney for offenders aged 15 years or older for a number of criminal acts, including attempted second-degree murder. A provision of the same code’s Article 879 further provides that all proceedings in a juvenile delinquency case involving a crime of violence as defined by the code, including attempted second-degree murder, must be open to the public.

 

If convicted as charged for attempted second-degree murder, Kennedy faces 10 to 50 years in prison at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

 

Assistant District Attorney Janet Silvie secured the finding.

 

* A Shreveport man convicted in January of committing three separate armed robberies must serve more than 37 years in prison, a Caddo District Court judge ordered April 4.

 

District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. sentenced Jermon Malik James, 20, to 12-1/2 years at hard labor for each robbery, consecutive to each other and consecutive to a 12-1/2 year sentence James already is serving for a fourth armed robbery committed in Bossier City. Altogether, James must serve 50 years without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

James was convicted as charged January 13 in Caddo District Court.

 

Assistant District Attorneys Courtney Ray and Victoria Washington prosecuted. James was defended by Elizabeth Gibson and Carter Lawrence.

 

* A Shreveport man found guilty of sex crimes against two family members over a span of two decades was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison April 6.

 

Rustin Randall Middleton, 36, convicted March 22, was sentenced to life for the aggravated rape of the one victim, plus 99 years for sexual battery against that relative. He also received a life sentence for the aggravated rape of the second victim and to 10 years for sexual battery against that person. The sentences imposed by District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. are to be served consecutively.

 

Middleton committed the sex crimes against two juvenile victims between the years 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2019.

 

Both victims testified for the state, along with other family members, detectives and two experts who testified about the dynamics of sexual assaults on children. The attacks occurred within Shreveport and in Caddo Parish.

 

Middleton was prosecuted by the Caddo District Attorney’s office Special Victims Unit Assistant District Attorneys Ron Christopher Stamps, Britney Green and Christopher Bowman. He was defended by Elizabeth Gibson and Carter Lawrence.

 

* A local teen who shot a convenience-store employee a year ago will serve 25 years in prison, after pleading guilty in Caddo District Court.

 

Omarion Goodwin, 18, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder before District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. April 18 for the shooting that occurred April 6, 2022 at the Circle K in the 6300 block of Jefferson-Paige Road.

 

Goodwin was 17 at the time the shooting occurred. His case was transferred from Caddo Juvenile Court to be prosecuted as an adult in Caddo District Court.

 

In the attack, Goodwin wore a ski mask that covered his entire face and was armed with a 22-caliber pistol. The victim was behind the counter eating a meal. Goodwin shot the victim in the head and top left shoulder several times, then fled. The victim was discovered later by customers of the store lying behind the counter in a pool of his own blood, conscious but unresponsive.  The victim was transported to a local hospital but survived.

 

Shreveport Police investigators viewed surveillance video from the store and interviewed witnesses. Goodwin, who was surrendered by a parent, made a full confession and police located the gun used in the shooting as well as clothing worn at the time.

 

Goodwin must serve his sentence, which was approved by the victim and his family, at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

 

Goodwin was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney N. Ray. He was defended by Elizabeth Gibson.

 

* A Caddo Parish man convicted in February of a lewd act against a sleeping 10-year-old girl was sentenced to four decades in prison.

 

Following a habitual offender hearing, Caddo District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. determined that Joshua Lee Masters, 39, could be sentenced as a fourth felony offender, whose sentence could range from 25 to 50 years. Masters was sentenced to serve 40 years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Upon his release, he also must register as a sex offender for life.

 

On February 7, a Caddo Parish Jury unanimously found Masters guilty of indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13.

On September 28, 2021, Masters was found by his live-in girlfriend in the bedroom of her 10-year-old daughter, masturbating to the child’s exposed rear-end. The child had taken melatonin to go to sleep that night and Masters had waited until the girl and her mother had fallen asleep before performing the lewd and lascivious act.

 

The child, her mother, and the investigating officer testified. The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning its verdict.

 

Masters, a registered sex offender, was previously convicted of rape by instrumentation on an unconscious victim from Bryan County, Oklahoma.

 

Masters was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney N. Ray and Jason W. Waltman. He was defended by Elizabeth Gibson and Carter Lawrence.

* A Shreveport man accused of stealing a car with an infant strapped in a car seat pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court April 13 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

 

Rickey Lane Quarles, 37, admitted his guilt in the theft of a motor vehicle and simple kidnapping in connection with an incident that occurred April 22, 2022. On that date, the victim’s uncle drove to a nearby fast food chain to submit a job application. The victim’s niece, a baby, was properly strapped in a car seat in the vehicle.

 

Quarles, who was passing by, saw the running but parked vehicle, and got into it and sped off. The victim’s family notified Shreveport police and searched the area for the vehicle. After finding the vehicle, police and the victim’s family attempted to stop the car. After a short car chase, Quarles was detained by the victim’s family. The baby’s car seat was flipped over but luckily the child was not harmed.

 

Quarles was sentenced by District Judge Chris Victory to the maximum terms for each offense, 10 years for the car theft and five years for the simple kidnapping, to be served concurrently. The victim’s family was present and agreed to the plea and sentencing.

 

Quarles was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sam Crichton and Chris Bowman. He was defended by Dave Knadler.

* A Shreveport man was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with a Stoner Hill neighborhood shootout that left a bystander, a single father and veteran, dead.

 

It took the six-man, six-woman jury in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s court less than an hour to unanimously convict Cortez De’Shun Hines, 30, April 13 in connection with the September 1, 2019 slaying of Sherman Earl Rambo Jr., 42. Mr. Rambo was killed by crossfire during the shootout on East Stoner Avenue.

 

The jury heard evidence from 17 witnesses, including four civilians, two expert witnesses and 11 Shreveport Police officers.

 

Hines was one of three men indicted in connection with Mr. Rambo’s death. The other men, Jacody Demetrius Wilson and Carl Wayne McClinton Jr., still await trial.

 

Hines still faces trial on pending charges of attempted second-degree murder and illegal use of weapons.

 

Hines returned to Judge Hathaway’s court for sentencing April 19 and was ordered to spend his life in prison at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole of suspension of sentence.

 

* Anthony Joseph Remedes of Oil City, 39, pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court April 24 to child pornography charges, just before his trial was to have begun in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court. He admitted to three counts of pornography involving juveniles, by possessing three videos of juveniles under the age of 13 performing sexual acts with adults. Remedes was already a registered sex offender for a 2016 conviction of attempted possession of pornography involving juveniles also under the age of 13.

 

This investigation started with the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s office and was handed over to Louisiana State Police. Remedes was contacted by troopers and confessed to viewing pornography containing juveniles as young as 1 year old.

 

When Remedes returns to court for sentencing June 26, he faces 10 to 40 years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on each count. As a second offender, Remedes is subject to a habitual offender bill. If the court determines that he is a second time offender for sexual crimes and the victims in the current and prior offenses were under the age of 13, he must be imprisoned for life, without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

Remedes was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney Ray and Jason Waltman. He was defended by Elizabeth Gibson.

 

* A Shreveport man facing trial in Caddo District Court on a variety of drug and weapons charges pleaded guilty April 24, just before his trial was to have begun.

 

Frankie Dominic Tillman, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon, the charge with the greatest exposure in prison, before District Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett.

 

When Tillman returns to court May 16, he will be sentenced to 20 years in prison at hard labor, without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence, as a habitual offender.

 

On September 6, 2022, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Deputy John Berry received a tip regarding the location of Tillman, who was sought for attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Deputy Berry got a description of Tillman’s vehicle and learned he possessed an AR-style pistol.  The deputy spotted the vehicle and observed an individual matching Tillman’s description at the wheel. A K9 Deputy attempted a traffic stop using lights and sirens, but Tillman traveled several blocks before slowing down as though to pull over. Deputy Berry, in an undercover vehicle, planned to pass by before realizing Tillman was about to flee. That was when Deputy Berry veered his vehicle into Tillman’s path to block him, but Tillman accelerated, striking Berry’s vehicle.

 

While assisting Tillman out of his vehicle, deputies discovered three small children in the back seat. They also observed an AR-style pistol on the back seat floorboard, placed so as to be easily accessible to the driver. Deputies also recovered 21 individual baggies of cocaine from the driver’s seat of Tillman’s vehicle.

 

Tillman was arrested for active warrants, as well as possession of the pistol, the cocaine and possession of the weapon with the drugs.

 

Tillman was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ross Owen. He was defended by Stephen Folk-Cruthirds.

 

* A Shreveport man was convicted of a felony weapon possession charge in absentia in Caddo District Court and was on the run from authorities.

 

Ladarrius Hodge, 25, who was free on bond, failed to appear in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s court  April 25, one day after his trial on possession of a firearm by a convicted felon began. Over defense objections, Judge Emanuel allowed proceedings to resume, with the eight-woman, four-man jury empaneled that day.

 

Late April 26, the jury returned its unanimous guilty-as-charged verdict after a half-hour of deliberation.

 

The court and the Caddo DA’s office then issued a bench warrant for Hodge’s arrest.

Hodge was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Shreveport Police April 2, 2021 for multiple traffic violations at Fairfield Avenue and 70th Street. Officers who stopped the car smelled marijuana smoke from the car and asked Hodge and the driver, his girlfriend, to exit the vehicle.

 

During a search of a backpack Hodge had, officers found a 9mm Hi-Point handgun with a high-capacity extended magazine. At trial, Hodge’s girlfriend attempted to testify the gun was in her possession, but under prosecution questioning she admitted the gun belonged to Hodge.

 

Hodge faces a prison sentence of at least five and up to 20 years to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Fernando Grider Jr. prosecuted. Katie Ferguson and Evan McMichael defended Hodge.

 

* A Palestine, Texas man was guilty of attempted robbery, a Caddo Parish jury determined April 24.

 

The five-man one-woman jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court deliberated less than 30 minutes before returning its guilty-as-charged verdict against 56-year-old Brad Alan Galloway.

 

On September 22, 2022, Galloway went to the Home Federal Bank on Pines Road wearing a hat, wig, sunglasses, Covid-style mask and gloves. He handed the teller a note saying “This is a robbery,” demanding they place $100, $20, and $10 bills in a plastic grocery sack he provided. When a short time passed and the bank employees failed to comply, Galloway left in a black sedan that was later located by the police, despite attempts to disguise the vehicle by changing the license plate and removing a sticker used to obscure the emblem on the vehicle’s trunk. Police found the gloves, mask and hat inside, as well as fibers from the wig. Police found the clothing worn in the robbery attempt inside Galloway’s motel room.

 

The robbery was captured on video, which was played at trial.  The bank employees and responding officers from the Shreveport Police Department testified.

 

When Galloway returns for sentencing May 4, he faces up to three-and-a-half years in prison with or without hard labor.

 

Galloway was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney N. Ray and Bryce Kinley. He was defended by Elizabeth Gibson and Carter Lawrence.

 

* A Shreveport man killed his longtime girlfriend after a dispute over her car, a Caddo Parish jury determined April 27.

 

The nine-man, three-woman jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court found unanimously, after less than an hour of deliberation, that Gregory Earl Jones, 40, killed Tasha Mayberry February 16, 2020.

 

The conviction for second-degree murder carries a mandatory term of life in prison at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Jones will return to Judge Hathaway’s court for sentencing May 30.

 

The jury determined that Jones shot Mayberry at West 73rd Street and Union Avenue when she refused to give him her car.  Three neighbors heard the couple arguing in the driveway.  The argument escalated and Jones shot Mayberry twice with a 9-mm handgun. One shot to her chest penetrated her heart and both lungs. The second round struck a leg.

 

Jones fled on foot, but was captured the following day. When police attempted to apprehend Jones, he pointed a gun at them and the police fired in self-defense, wounding Jones. Forensic testing proved Jones’ gun was the murder weapon. Additionally, his DNA was found on a cap by Mayberry’s body in the driveway. Jones’ personal and financial papers were inside Mayberry’s home, corroborating eyewitness testimony regarding the couple’s domestic relationship.

 

Jones was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Courtney Ray. He was defended by Richard Woolbert.

 

As you can see, our five criminal sections of Caddo Parish court stay very busy.  I want to thank the judges, attorneys and court staff for their work.  Most importantly I want to thank the citizens who come forward to serve on juries, so we can bring justice for victims of crime.

 

I am also excited about the opening of The Harbor, Volunteer for Youth Justice’s one-stop shop for services for youth, which opened for business this month. This was a mission seven years in the making.  It includes various youth counseling offices, truancy services, school uniform services and a drop-off location for law enforcement use  for juveniles charged with misdemeanors who cannot be booked into our filled-to-capacity juvenile detention center.   Please contact Volunteers for Youth Justice for more information. The Harbor ultimately will help keep kids in school and out of jail cells, and I thank those trying to make a difference to steer our wayward youth to the right path.

 

As always serving the citizens of Caddo Parish,

 

James E. Stewart Sr.,

District Attorney and retired judge