State v. Charles Leon Thompson, Jr., K17-240
LA PLATA, MD—Tony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County announced that on Friday, June 29, 2018, Charles County Circuit Court Judge William R. Greer, Jr. sentenced Charles Leon Thompson, Jr., 34 of Waldorf, to 40 years in prison for Armed Robbery and Use of a Handgun During the Commission of a Crime of Violence.
On February 4, 2017, officers responded to the Beer 4 U Bar located in the 2100 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered several victims suffering from various injuries, including Emmanuel Perkins who sustained head injuries from an earlier assault and Miaquita Gray who suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body. Gray was later pronounced deceased as a result of her injuries.
A preliminary investigation revealed that a few moments prior to the shooting, Perkins was physically assaulted and robbed by three suspects in the bathroom of Beer 4 U. After the assault, Perkins and his girlfriend, Gray, exited the bar and stood in the parking lot of the establishment. The three suspects also exited the establishment. One of the suspects brandished a gun and began firing at Perkins and Gray, fatally striking Gray. Two other victims were struck but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
Video surveillance and witness testimony identified co-defendant Anthony Deangelo Wilkins as being involved in the armed robbery and shooting. A further investigation revealed Wilkins as the shooter and identified Charles Leon Thompson, Jr. as an accomplice to the shooting and the armed robbery in the bathroom.
Thompson entered a guilty plea to the aforementioned charges in Charles County Circuit Court in front of the Honorable Judge H. James West on December 4, 2017.
While commenting on the imposed sentence, Covington said, “The sentence laid down by the Court was fair and reasonable given the senseless killing of an innocent bystander in this case. Incapacitating violent robbers and murderers by jailing them, is the only truly proven way of reducing violent crime on our streets. This sentence takes a dangerous person off the streets for a significant time period. That is a good thing.”