Joseph Gaines | Homicide Watch Trenton

Trenton man offered more than 60 years for two murders

Isaac Avilucea — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:18:15 -0400

A Trenton man who has said he is not willing to spend a day in prison for allegedly killing two city men was hit with a jaw-dropping offer that guarantees he would spend the rest of his life in prison if he accepted it.

Markquice Thomas

Markquice “Tank” Thomas was indicted for the slaying of 22-year-old Jared Littlejohn, of Ewing, who was kidnapped and killed in September 2012 during a botched robbery, prosecutors said.

Thomas pleaded not guilty to killing Littlejohn when he was arraigned Friday before Judge Robert Billmeier.

He previously pleaded not guilty to killing 44-year-old Joseph “Power God” Gaines, a former drug dealer turned city activist, two years later, in March 2014.

Prosecutors extended a “global” plea offer calling for Thomas to serve 62 years in prison. The deal packages two murder charges with a drug case.

Under terms of the deal, Thomas would plead guilty to aggravated manslaughter and receive 28 years. That would run consecutively to a 30-year sentence for murder, along with a consecutive 4-year sentence in the drug case.

Littlejohn’s case remained cold until witnesses stepped forward, prosecutors said. Thomas was served with the murder charge in Littlejohn’s death while he was jailed in Gaines’ slaying.

Gaines, a former city drug dealer who had reportedly turned his life around to become a mentor for troubled city youth, was killed because of an outstanding drug debt, prosecutors said.

Thomas’ attorney, Robin Lord, has said her client would not take a deal “if it was for one year.”

Lord raised hackles Friday about her client’s case possibly being transferred to another judge. She said she was opposed to the matter being handled by another judge.

Billmeier said he would pass Lord’s objections along to Peter Warshaw, the presiding criminal judge who has the final call.

Plea cutoff is set for Thomas’ next court appearance in June.

Trenton man charged with murder won’t take deal if it’s for ‘a year,’ attorney says

Isaac Avilucea — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 15:46:40 -0400

A Trenton man charged with two murders has been offered a plea deal that would put him behind bars for nearly three decades for one of the murders.

Markquice Thomas

Markquice “Tank” Thomas is charged with the murders of 44-year-old Joseph “Power God” Gaines, a former drug dealer turned city activist, as well as the murder of 22-year-old Jared Littlejohn.

Littlejohn, of Ewing, was kidnapped and killed in September 2012 during a botched robbery, prosecutors have said. Two years later, in March 2014, Thomas killed Gaines over an outstanding drug debt, prosecutors have said.

Littlejohn’s case, which has not been indicted, remained cold until witnesses stepped forward, prosecutors said. Thomas was served with the murder charge in Littlejohn’s death while he was jailed in Gaines’ slaying.

Thomas’ attorney, Robin Lord, said her client has entered not guilty pleas to the murders as well as to counts in a drug case.

“We wouldn’t take it if it was one year,” Lord said of prosecutors’ offer.

Thomas and Gaines allegedly exchanged text message some time before the murder in which Gaines said he planned to pay off his debt, prosecutors have said.

Prosecutors believe the former city drug dealer who had reportedly turned his life around to become a mentor for troubled city youth was killed because of an outstanding drug debt.

Gaines had sent Thomas text messages sometime before he was slain telling Thomas he intended to pay off the debt, prosecutors said.

Thomas’ next appearance in court is set for Jan. 11.

Joseph Gaines was killed over an outstanding drug debt: Prosecutors

Isaac Avilucea — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 18:42:22 -0400

Prosecutors believe a former city drug dealer who had reportedly turned his life around to become a mentor for troubled city youth was killed because of an outstanding drug debt.

The revelation came at a hearing Tuesday in the case of alleged killer, Markquice “Tank” Thomas.

Markquice Thomas

Thomas, 29, is charged with a pair of city murders, including that of 44-year-old Joseph “Power God” Gaines, who was shot to death in March 2014.

Thomas is also accused of kidnapping and killing 22-year-old Jared Littlejohn in September 2012.

Gaines had sent Thomas text messages sometime before he was slain telling Thomas he intended to pay off the debt, prosecutors said.

“This week you’ll have your money,” he wrote. “No B.S.”

Gaines past criminal life was the center of much debate at the hearing, which was scheduled to determine whether Thomas’ attorney, Robin Lord, must withdraw from her client’s case. A judge has not issued a decision on the recusal motion.

Prosecutors argued Lord must recuse herself from the case because she represented Gaines in an unrelated drug case more than a decade ago.

Korngut said it was a conflict of interest for Lord, who would have had access to information about Gaines she could use to help defend Thomas. Prosecutors added Lord is representing Trenton Police Detective Damon Jefferson, who helped investigate Gaines’ death, in a civil matter.

The only away around the conflict, Korngut said, would be if Gaines agreed.

“He can’t give consent because he’s dead,” Korngut said.

Lord fired back, accusing prosecutors of “shooting from the hip” and said her past representation of Gaines was too distant to matter. She said Thomas was in middle school when she took on Gaines’ case.

Lord also said any suggestion that the motive for Gaines’ murder was drug-related was “stupid” because a drug dealer would want to recoup debts not kill a debtor.

“Why kill somebody who owes you money?” she asked.

Trenton man charged in 2014 murder also now accused of 2012 Ewing murder

Isaac Avilucea — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 17:09:48 -0400

A city man accused in the 2014 springtime murder of a former drug dealer was recently charged with killing a Ewing man in 2012 during a botched robbery after recent witnesses came forward, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Markquice “Tank” Thomas, 29, is charged with the brazen broad daylight shooting of 22-year-old Jared Littlejohn, who was kidnapped Sept. 27, 2012 and driven to a parking lot on Parkside Avenue where he was shot and run over with his own vehicle, prosecutors said. He is being held on a combined $1.6 million cash-only bail.

During a bail hearing Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Gasparian said Littlejohn is seen on a soundless video surveillance screaming and struggling to get out of the passenger’s side of his vehicle before he is forcibly pulled back in before being driven to an apartment complex parking lot where he was shot in the head.

Gasparian said phone records show Thomas and Littlejohn spoke on the phone minutes before he was kidnapped. Witnesses placed Thomas in the victim’s car on the day in question and said he later told them he killed the victim following a “robbery gone bad,” Gasparian said.

Thomas found out prosecutors were filing additional murder charges against him while he was incarcerated on charges that he killed 44-year-old Joseph “Power God” Gaines last March.

Gaines was a former city drug dealer who had reportedly turned his life around to become a counselor for troubled youth.

Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier asked Gasparian at the hearing why the state waited more than two years before charging Thomas with Littlejohn’s murder.

Gasparian said it was not “prudent” to file the charges until investigators had all the necessary pieces, including recent statements from witnesses.

“The state was not hasty to charge,” until it had all the evidence, Gasparian said.

Robin Lord, Thomas’ attorney, said the case against her client is largely circumstantial and there is no direct evidence linking him to Littlejohn’s murder.

She also questioned the timing of the new murder charge, implying the state’s new witnesses are either jailhouse informants or people facing their own criminal troubles who have, in turn, agreed to turn on her client for a deal with prosecutors.

She also chastised prosecutors for trying to speak with her client about Littlejohn’s murder without her permission. Lord said prosecutors misrepresented to her client that she was no longer representing him based on a motion prosecutors filed asking that she be recused.

Prosecutors want Lord off the case because they say she has a conflict of interest. Lord once represented Gaines, the murder victim, in a prior matter and is currently representing Trenton Police Detective Damon Jefferson in a civil matter against city police. Jefferson was involved in the investigation of Gaines’ death.

The matter is scheduled to be heard by a judge later this month.

Man shot outside after-hours club last month dies in hospital

Penny Ray — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 10:41:58 -0400

A man who was shot outside an after-hours club last month died in the hospital early Thursday morning.

Joseph Gaines, 45, was shot while seated in a parked SUV around 4 p.m. on March 9. Witnesses told police that the shooter approached on foot and fired several shots at the vehicle before fleeing the area.

A 21-year-old man was also injured in the shooting and suffered a graze wound to his hand; Gaines was struck at least once in the head, according to police.

Markquice R. Thomas, 28, was arrested in connection with the case two days after the shooting and charged with attempted murder and weapons offenses.

Prosecutors were notified by the hospital that Gaines died early Thursday morning. And a judge has signed a criminal complaint charging Thomas with first-degree murder in connection with Gaines' death, according to prosecutors in the case.

Thomas is now being held on $500,000 cash bail.