Prison time in other cases for fraudulent pharmaceutical prescriptions, robbery and assault, illegal gun possession, and burglary
Casey Layton, 30, of Georgetown pled guilty this morning to the charge of Murder by Neglect in the First Degree in connection with the death in 2015 of her infant son Aiden Hundley. She was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 15 years in prison. Layton and Aiden’s father, Doyle Hundley, were the sole care-takers for the baby. In May 2015, Layton and Hundley called 911 saying their son was unresponsive. An examination revealed the baby had multiple injuries in various stages of healing and was also severely malnourished. The child lived on life support for five months before dying in September 2015. Hundley pled guilty to Murder by Neglect First Degree in 2017. Deputy Attorneys General Melanie Withers and Michael Tipton prosecuted the case.
The leader of a forged prescription ring pled guilty to Solicitation of Multiple Prescription Drug Crimes, Theft Of Less Than $1,500, Forgery 2nd Degree, Conspiracy 2nd Degree, Unlawfully Obtaining Possession of a Controlled Substance by Fraud or Forgery, and Insurance Fraud. Annette Bryant, also known as Annette Scott, 49, of Philadelphia, was employed at a doctor’s office on Foulk Road in Wilmington from which she stole a blank prescription pad. Over the course of two months in 2017, Bryant conspired with numerous co-defendants to present more than 25 prescriptions in various pharmacies in New Castle County. The Solicitation of Multiple Prescription Drug Crimes charge hold accountable those that solicit, direct, hire, employ, or otherwise use one or more other people three or more times within a thirty day period to attempt to acquire or obtain controlled substances or prescription drugs by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, or deception. Bryant entered into a pre-indictment plea and was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 1 year in prison, followed by probation. Other defendants in the case remain pending. Deputy Attorney General Barzilai Axelrod prosecuted the case and Paralegal Jessica Ascione assisted.
Deputy Attorney General Zachary Rosen secured a decade-long prison sentence for a 42-year-old Wilmington man, Gregory Murrell, a habitual offender who had 11 previous felonies. Murrell was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to Robbery 2nd Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, and Resisting Arrest. In January 2017, Murrell attacked a loss prevention officer at a Shoprite store with a knife after being stopped shoplifting. Murrell was declared a habitual offender based on multiple previous convictions for Burglary, Attempted Burglary and Attempted Robbery. DOJ Social Worker Courtney Cochran assisted with the case.
Corey Williams, a 28-year-old Wilmington man, was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and sentenced to at least 5 years of jail time. Williams was caught with a loaded firearm when coming to collect a drug debt from a heroin addict at a residence in Wilmington in June 2017. He was sentenced to 15-years in prison sentence, which was suspended by a Superior Court judge to 5 years served followed by 1 year of probation.
At a recent trial, Julian Petty of New Castle was declared a habitual offender by a Superior Court judge and sentenced to 2 years in prison after convictions for Burglary 3rd Degree, Criminal Mischief, and Theft. In November 2015, 49-year-old Petty unlawfully entered an Elks Lodge on East 13th Street in Wilmington. He climbed through a window, stole several items and damaged other property in the process of the crime. Petty was declared a habitual offender based on multiple convictions in New Jersey including Burglary, Robbery, and Drug Dealing. Deputy Attorney General Phillip Casale handled the case along with Wilmington Police Department Detective Jeffrey Dickerson, DOJ Social Worker Courtney Cochran and Special Investigator Willie Santiago.