Jeremi Quentin Lewis, 36, has been given a life sentence without the possibility of parole, along with an additional 100 years in prison. This is in relation to his leadership role in the “59 Hoover Criminal Gang” in Columbia, as well as the murder of Jaden Ealey during the summer of 2021.
On May 30, 2021, the Howard County police officers responded to a call about shots being fired at the 6000 block of Foreland Garth. Upon arrival, they discovered Ealey behind the Exxon gas station, wounded from multiple gunshots.
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Less than two weeks later, he succumbed to his critical injuries at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he had been rushed for immediate medical attention.
Lewis, who led the gang from May 2020 to March 2022, was later connected to the deadly shooting, along with a minimum of eight other offenses during his tenure.
According to prosecutors, members of the ’59 Hoover Criminal Gang’ committed criminal acts with the intention of establishing dominance and taking control over territories in Columbia.
The gang members were involved in selling illegal substances and they also had firearms with them for use in committing violent crimes.
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- First-degree murder;
- First-degree assault;
- Use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence;
- Two counts of firearm possession with a felony conviction;
- Organizing, supervising, and financing a criminal organization;
- Participating in a criminal organization.
According to Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson, the term was “appropriate, considering the abhorrent conduct,” and it “should serve as a deterrent to anyone who would engage in this type of criminal activity in this area.”
Various offenses have led to the conviction of seven other gang members, who received sentences ranging from four to 18 years in jail.
“It is shameful that (Lewis, who operated in a leadership role, used his acumen to harm his community instead of providing help,” he said. “And we want to make sure that people understand that these types of choices have significant consequences.”
