FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
May 29, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PDL BLOODS MEMBER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ROLE IN WITNESS MURDER
Eight Defendants, Including 4 PDL Bloods Members, Convicted
in the Murder of Witness Carl Lackl
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced PDL Bloods member Steven Thompson, a/k/a L-Tigga, Trigger, age 28, of Baltimore to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for helping to arrange the murder of Carl Stanley Lackl on July 2, 2007, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to Thompson’s plea agreement, while in a city jail awaiting trial in the Baltimore City Circuit Court for the murder of Larry Haynes, Patrick Byers used a contraband cell phone to call Frank Goodman and offer to pay $2,500 for the murder of Mr. Lackl. Mr. Lackl had identified Byers as the person he saw throw a gun away as Byers ran from the scene of the murder of Mr. Haynes. Mr. Lackl had been subpoenaed to appear as a witness in the then-pending trial of Byers. On July 2, 2007, Goodman recruited Marcus Pearson, a member of the PDL Bloods gang, to murder Mr. Lackl, and provided Pearson with Mr. Lackl’s name, address and phone number.
Pearson contacted Thompson, and Thompson recruited Jonathan Cornish, a junior member of the PDL Bloods whom Thompson supervised, to kill Mr. Lackl. Pearson arranged to pick up Cornish. Michael Randle, another Bloods gang member, also agreed to participate in the murder.
At Pearson’s direction, Ronald Williams obtained a loaded .44 magnum handgun and gave it to Cornish. Cornish, Randle and Williams then followed Pearson to Mr. Lackl’s home, where Pearson and Thompson lured Mr. Lackl outside his home by making telephone calls inquiring about a car Mr. Lackl had offered for sale. Cornish shot Mr. Lackl three times, killing him. After the murder, Cornish called Pearson to confirm that Mr. Lackl was murdered. Pearson contacted Byers to confirm the murder was completed, then contacted Frank Goodman who, on behalf of Byers, paid Pearson $2,300 for the murder. Pearson then met the other conspirators and gave Cornish and Randle $100 each. Thompson was present when Pearson dropped off Cornish and Randle, and Pearson commended Cornish for his performance of this “mission,” which Cornish hoped would increase his rank and reputation in the PDL Bloods.
Patrick Albert Byers, Jr., age 24, of Baltimore was convicted at trial and sentenced on May 4, 2009 to four consecutive life sentences for arranging the murder of Carl Stanley Lackl. Michael Jerome Randle, a/k/a L-Killa, age 20, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to using telephones in the commission of a murder-for-hire and was sentenced on May 22, 2009, to 20 years in prison.
Frank Keith Goodman, age 23, of Baltimore, was convicted at trial along with Byers and faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison for each count of conspiracy to use telephones in the commission of a murder-for-hire; use of a firearm in a murder; conspiracy to murder a witness; and murder of a witness. Goodman also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for use of a firearm in a murder. Judge Bennett scheduled Goodman’s sentencing for July 17, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
Co-conspirators Jonathan Cornish, age 17; Marcus Pearson, age 28; and Ronald Williams, age 23; all of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to their roles in Mr. Lackl’s murder and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Baltimore County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger and his office and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy and her office for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys John Purcell and Bryan Giblin, who prosecuted the case.