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Press Release

Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Potential Witnesses

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michael J. Favors, 26, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to murder two potential witnesses.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.

Favors and Antwan L. Hutchinson, 27, also of Columbus, were both indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2017. According to court documents, Favors and Hutchinson possessed and distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana. As part of their drug conspiracy, they used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs. This included using threats of force and using the homes of drug-addicted individuals. It was further part of the conspiracy to intimidate, assault, threaten and torture individuals with serious physical harm who were perceived as owing money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy.

Favors pleaded guilty to his role in the murders of Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp.

Specifically, Favors pleaded guilty to five counts as charged against him in the indictment, which include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness, and two counts of murder through use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Favors faces up to life in prison.

Hutchinson and Favors were arrested on March 27, 2017 and remain in custody.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and the Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Jessica W. Knight who are prosecuting the case.

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Updated November 14, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime