Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Taylor King Pepe, age 21, of Laurel, Maryland today to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for an armed robbery conspiracy, and for aiding and abetting the brandishing and use of a gun during a crime of violence, arising from the robbery of Russell Rowe, who was shot and killed. There is no parole in the federal criminal justice system. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Russell found that Pepe was an organizer and leader of the armed robbery conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; and Howard County State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino.
According to his plea agreement, on Jan. 23, 2014, Pepe, Desmick Lewis, Amanda McAdoo and Lauren Maready planned to rob Russell Rowe of Oxycodone pills. Maready drove the conspirators to the location where McAdoo had arranged to meet Rowe, purportedly to buy the pills from him.
When they arrived at the meeting place, Lewis hid behind a fence and McAdoo went to meet Rowe in his car, while Pepe and Maready remained in her car. Lewis approached Rowe’s car and began shooting. Upon hearing the shots, Pepe and Maready drove away, leaving Lewis and McAdoo. Rowe was discovered by Howard County Police a short time later, after his car had run into a tree. There were bullet holes in the driver’s side window and Rowe had been shot several times in the head. He subsequently died. The conspirators met a short time later near McAdoo’s residence in Laurel, close to where the shooting occurred. Pepe told Maready to drive them to his friend’s home in Elkridge, Maryland, where Pepe and McAdoo went inside and discussed the robbery/murder. Maready then drove Pepe, McAdoo and Lewis to Lewis’ grandmother’s house in Columbia, Maryland. Avery Terry and Donte Powell joined them later and they discussed the robbery/murder. Terry then drove Pepe, McAdoo and Lewis, along with the gun, to Pepe’s home.
On Jan. 25, 2014, Pepe, McAdoo, and Maready were arrested in connection with the robbery and shooting. On Jan. 26, 2014, Lewis went to Pepe’s residence, which had not yet been searched, and retrieved an item from the basement. Lewis texted Terry, who met him at Lewis’ grandmother’s house. Law enforcement officers had set up surveillance at the residence. They saw Terry trying to shield Lewis from view as the two men left the home and got into Terry’s car. Police stopped Terry’s car and arrested Lewis. A black.38 caliber revolver was recovered from Terry’s car. Rowe was killed with a.38 caliber revolver.
Avery Terry, age 23, of Laurel, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to an unrelated robbery of a CVS Pharmacy on Jan. 21, 2014, in Elkridge, Maryland, and to using and brandishing a firearm during that robbery. In addition, Terry pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the Jan. 23, 2014 robbery that resulted in the death of Russell Rowe. Terry was sentenced to 181 months in prison.
At his guilty plea on July 18, 2016, Donte Powell, a/k/a “Rain," age 29, a Crips gang member who resides in Washington, D.C. and Columbia, admitted to committing the CVS robbery with Avery Terry, and to being a felon in possession of a gun. Powell is currently serving a state sentence for an unrelated armed robbery. A.40 caliber pistol seized during Powell’s arrest in that case is the gun that was used in the CVS robbery. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III scheduled Powell’s sentencing in federal court for Aug. 22, 2016 at 2:00 p.m.
Amanda McAdoo, age 21, of Laurel, Lauren Maready, age 21, of Highland, Maryland; and Desmick Lewis, age 24, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in Howard County Circuit Court to their roles in the Jan. 23, 2014 robbery and murder. Lewis was sentenced to life in prison, McAdoo was sentenced to 30 years in prison and Maready was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF, Howard County Police Department and Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, especially Assistant State’s Attorneys Brian Furlong and Devora Kirschner, for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Wilkinson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Perry, who prosecuted the federal case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
