Others face jail time for murder, weapons, rape, and vehicular homicide charges
A 35-year-old Dover man will spend the rest of his life in prison, sentenced as a habitual offender for sexually abusing a child. Deputy Attorney General Kathleen Dickerson secured the sentence in Superior Court for Eric Curry. In November 2015, Curry was caught having sexual intercourse with a minor female when the young girl’s sister passed by and witnessed the crime. Curry was convicted after a non-jury trial of Sexual Abuse by a Person in a Position of Trust or Authority and Rape Second Degree. Curry’s habitual offender status comes as a result of previous convictions for the violent felonies of Aggravated Menacing and Robbery Second Degree.
Deputy Attorney General Greg Babowal obtained a conviction against 24-year-old Shakir Swain of Dover on firearm charges that could result in a life sentence. In December 2015, officers executing a search warrant in a home in the 400 block of Barrister Place found a .40 caliber handgun in a bedroom where Swain was staying. A Superior Court jury found Swain, prohibited from having a gun because of previous felony convictions, guilty of two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. Swain faces between 10 years and life in prison when sentenced in April.
One of the men responsible for a 2015 murder in Dover, DaMier Harmon, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. In May 2015, Harmon, 20 of Dover and co-defendant Bruce Manlove attempted to rob 19-year-old Gary Adams in the Walker Woods neighborhood during a marijuana transaction. Harmon pulled out a gun, during the course of the struggle, Harmon shot Adams one time in the chest. Harmon pled guilty in November 2016 to Murder Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. Deputy Attorneys General Steve Welch and Ben Snyder secured the sentence in Superior Court. Co-defendant Manlove was sentenced in January to 15 years in prison for his plea to Robbery First Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.
An 18-year-old from Wilmington pled guilty in Superior Court to Assault First Degree and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony related to a Wilmington shooting. Deputy Attorney General Cynthia Hurlock secured the plea from Bryan Briggs, an associate of the Shoot to Kill (STK) gang. In June 2016, two men were involved in a fight in the 1300 block of North Walnut Street, when Briggs, who was sitting nearby, jumped in and started shooting, hitting the victim in the abdomen and neck. Briggs, who faces 2 to 25 years on each count, is scheduled for sentencing in Superior Court in April.
Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Anderson secured a guilty plea and prison sentence for Jorge Martinez-Carrasco, 44, of Frankford, who sexually abused a child over a multi-year period. Martinez-Carrasco would take the victim to his home, cover the victim’s head, and commit the rape. Martinez-Carrasco was arrested in September of 2016, after the Division of Family Services received a complaint. Martinez-Carrasco pled guilty to 3 counts of Rape Third Degree and was sentenced in Superior Court to 20 years in prison, followed by a year of probation. Martinez-Carrasco must also register as a sex offender.
Deputy Attorneys General Danielle Brennan and Erika Flaschner secured a guilty plea from 51-year-old Scott Bartow of North East, Maryland, to charges of Vehicular Homicide First Degree, Vehicular Assault Second Degree and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. In April 2016, Bartow, who admitted to police he had been drinking, crossed the center line of Route 273 near Route 1 in Bear, and struck a car driven by 24-year-old Detrick Jones of New Castle. Jones suffered multiple injuries and died eight days later. Bartow faces up to 17 years in prison when sentenced in Superior Court later this year.