Denver Man Sentenced For Role In Murder-for-Hire And Drug Conspiracy

LAREDO, Texas – Shavar Davis, 30, of Denver, Colo., has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his involvement in a murder-for-hire and drug conspiracy, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Davis pleaded guilty in August 2012 to a superseding indictment which charged him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.

Today, Senior U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen handed Davis two concurrent 120-month terms of imprisonment.

According to the factual basis of his plea agreement, the investigation began in January 2011, when co-defendant Marcus Mickle began negotiations with persons whom he thought were members of the Los Zetas Cartel, actually undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, to purchase marijuana in return for stolen weapons. The discussions concerned the distribution of marijuana in the Columbia, S.C., area and how Mickle and another co-defendant Calvin Epps allegedly told undercover agents about a friend in the military who could provide military weapons to them. The agents were later introduced to co-defendant Kevin Corley who identified himself as an active duty officer in the Army responsible for training soldiers. According to the factual basis, Corley offered to provide tactical training for cartel members and to purchase weapons for the cartel. 

The factual basis reads that over the next several months, Corley continued to communicate with undercover agents regarding the services he could provide the cartel as a result of the training, experience and access to information/equipment afforded him as an active duty soldier.
 
On Jan. 7, 2012, Corley traveled to Laredo and met with undercover agents. During this meeting, Corley stated he could raid a ranch located at or near Laredo containing 20 kilograms of cocaine and conduct a contract killing there. Corley proposed a $50,000 fee for this work but stated he would need to bring his own team. After further negotiation, Corley stated he would accept a $50,000 fee and five kilograms of cocaine.

During March 2012, Corley allegedly arranged for 300 pounds of marijuana to be delivered to Mario Corley in Charleston, S.C. He assisted in brokering 500 pounds of marijuana and five kilograms of cocaine for Mickle and Epps and discussed the distribution of these narcotics in South Carolina, Texas and Colorado.

On March 5, 2012, Kevin Corley delivered two AR-15 assault rifles with scopes, an airsoft assault rifle, five allegedly stolen ballistic vests and other miscellaneous equipment to an undercover agent in Colorado Springs, Colo., in exchange for $10,000. At the meeting, Kevin Corley and the undercover agent allegedly again discussed the contract killing and the retrieval of the cocaine which was to occur on March 24, 2012. Kevin Corley stated he had purchased a new Ka-Bar knife to carve a “Z” into the victim’s chest and was planning on buying a hatchet to dismember the body.

On March 24, 2012, Kevin Corley, Samuel Walker and Shavar Davis traveled to Laredo and met with undercover agents, at which time they discussed the location of the intended victim, the logistics of performing the contract kill and their respective roles. The three were arrested, during which time a fourth suspect was shot and killed. A subsequent search of the vehicle in which Corley and the other co-conspirators arrived revealed two semi-automatic rifles with scopes, one bolt-action rifle with a scope and bipod, one hatchet, one Ka-Bar knife, one bag of .223 caliber ammunition and one box of .300 caliber ammunition.

Mickle is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2013. Robert Corley, who pleaded guilty to the marijuana conspiracy, was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison. The remaining co-defendants are still pending sentencing to be set a later date.
 
The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by the DEA and the FBI with the assistance of U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roberto Ramirez and Jody Young.