For his limited role in the 2017 invasion and robbery of a Waldorf home, a Derwood man received five years of unsupervised probation in Charles County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Jermel Andrico D’Aubrey Thomas, now 35, was 33 when he said he was invited by a family friend to what he thought was just a group hangout on Sept. 3, 2017. In court before Judge Amy J. Bragunier on Tuesday morning, Thomas said he was unaware of what was actually to transpire at the Elsa Court residence.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Jonathan Beattie, that evening three men who posed as U.S. Marshals knocked on the door of the home and told the victims they were there on official business. Once inside, the men forced the victims downstairs into the basement, where they were bound and assaulted. The men fled the home with stolen money, handguns and marijuana and also stole a car from the victims before absconding. Children were present in the home at the time of the attack but were unharmed.
Beattie told the court Thomas was originally identified as a suspect through the phone records of his co-defendant, 35-year-old Bernard Green of Upper Marlboro. The records showed Green had contacted Thomas during the same time frame as the attack, Beattie said, and the calls were determined to have been transmitted through a cell phone tower near the scene of the crime.
Thomas, Green and 35-year-old Michael Damion Coffer of Waldorf were indicted in May 2018. When Thomas was arrested, Beattie said, he was “very cooperative” and remained so throughout the process. Although he never had to testify against any of his co-defendants, Beattie said Thomas had indicated he was willing to do so, and the information he provided to the state was reliable and helped them identify the other men involved, 36-year-olds Danzie Lee Barron of Washington, D.C., and Dakevis Larry Maryland of Glen Burnie.
Thomas’ defense attorney, Steven Kupferberg, called his client’s decision to even drive to the scene that day “the worst case of a lack of judgment [Thomas] ever made.” Having realized his mistake, Kupferberg said, Thomas’ cooperation in the case proved “instrumental” toward getting justice for the victims. Kupferberg also said Thomas knew his cooperation could potentially put him and his family at risk but he chose to proceed regardless.
Speaking to Bragunier, Thomas said Tuesday he was “truly apologetic” for what had transpired that day, and said he has been “trying to do right ever since.”
Bragunier questioned his level of involvement. She asked Thomas if he knew what they were at the house for the invasion. Thomas replied that he “didn’t realize what was about to take place.” He said “certain suggestions” were made, and he immediately realized he’d been misled.
“Once I figured it out, I said ‘Nah, I’m out of here,” Thomas said. He’d driven to the scene alone, he explained, and so left by himself. Thomas never entered the home that night.
“I’m deeply sorry this ever happened,” Thomas said.
For his role, Thomas received a five-year sentence with all but a day suspended, and he received credit for the day he’d already served when he was arrested. Thomas will be on unsupervised probation for five years.
In December, Dakevis Maryland received 12 years in prison and five years of supervised probation for home invasion as well as 13 years of suspended time. Coffer pleaded to conspiracy to commit home invasion and received a 10-year sentence in December. Barron pleaded guilty to home invasion and was sentenced to 10 years in January.
Green will be sentenced on Sept. 11.
Originally Posted on The Maryland Independent: