A Tennessee man pleaded guilty Friday to helping two other men charged with shooting dead rapper Young Dolph in a daytime ambush at a Memphis bakery.
Jermarcus Johnson, 26, later pleaded guilty to three charges of abetting. Judge Lee Coffee approved a plea bargain with the prosecution, allowing him to avoid a trial.
Johnson admitted to helping two shooters communicate while they were on the run from authorities, and to helping one shooter communicate with a probation officer after the killing.
During questioning by prosecutor Paul Hagerman, Johnson admitted to occupying the car from the suspected shooter, Justin Johnson, his half-brother. Jermarcus Johnson also identified a photo of Justin Johnson wearing the same outfit as one of the two shooters charged with shooting Young Dolph on the day he was murdered. Hagermann said Johnson was not involved in the actual murder of Young Dorf.
Johnson is one of four people charged with conspiracy in the November 2021 murder of Young Dorf, whose real name is Adolph Thornton Jr. Johnson is the first person to plead guilty or be convicted in the shooting that rocked Memphis and rocked society. world of entertainment.
Memphis young Dolph shooting suspect pleads not guilty
Authorities say the rapper, label owner and producer was shot dead by two men while buying cookies at a bakery near his childhood home in Memphis.
According to the indictment, Johnson was initially charged with felony charges rather than conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for facilitating Justin Johnson’s hiding and subsequent escape. The indictment states that Jermarcus Johnson assisted in communicating with Justin Johnson and another suspect, Cornelius Smith, while also facilitating the payment of the murder price to Smith. It is stated that
Young Dorf performing at the Parking Lot Concert in Atlanta on August 23, 2020. (Photo Credit: Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)
Justin Johnson and Smith pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges. A fourth person charged with the indictment, Hernandez Govan, also pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Gobain is accused of arranging the murder.
A motive for the killing has not been revealed.
Young Dolph was known in Memphis for his philanthropic work and success as an independent music artist and businessman. Young Dolph was in the city visiting sick relatives and handing out Thanksgiving turkeys at church when he was killed.
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After his death, Memphis named a street after him, and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies honored him during games. Murals of the rapper have been painted across the city, and a pop-up museum featuring him opened earlier this year.
Makeda’s Homemade Cookies bakery has become a makeshift memorial for the murdered rapper. It was closed for months after the shooting, but has since reopened.
Justin Johnson and Smith are being held in prison. Mr. Govan is being held under house arrest on $90,000 bail, citing safety and health concerns.
Coffee said Jermarcus Johnson could be called as a witness in future trials in the Young Dorf murder case.
Mr Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10 and could face a sentence of six to 12 years in prison.
