Others face prison for manslaughter, robbery, weapons, DUI, assault, and drug charges

A 2017 murder outside of a Dover apartment complex will send a Felton man to prison after his conviction by a Kent County Superior Court jury. Deputy Attorneys General Jason Cohee and Stephen Smith secured the conviction of Brett Scott on charges of Murder Second Degree, Attempted Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and Conspiracy Second Degree. In June 2017, Scott planned to rob Dequan Dukes, 21, of Dover as Dukes sat in his car at the Pine Grove Apartments in the 200 block of Webbs Lane. A friend of Scott’s lured Dukes to the area by setting up a meeting. When Scott approached the car, he and Dukes exchanged gunfire. Scott was shot in the chest, hand, and foot, and Dukes was fatally shot in the chest. A Superior Court judge will sentence Scott to between 21 years and life in prison in September. DOJ social Worker Esther Powell, paralegal Sue Balik and administrative assistants Amanda Balke and Samantha Huey assisted with the prosecution.

Robbing the same convenience store three times over the course of three weeks has led to a 55-year prison sentence for a Wilmington man. During the spring of 2017, 38-year-old Robert Caulk robbed the 7-11 store in the 500 block of Greenhill Avenue in Wilmington at on three separate occasions, threatening the clerk with a knife each time. In a January 2018 bench trial, a Superior Court judge convicted Caulk of 3 counts of Robbery First Degree and one count of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony. Because of previous convictions on assault, robbery, and drug charges, the judge sentenced Caulk as a habitual offender to a total of 55 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Timothy Maguire and Matthew Bloom prosecuted the case.

A 37-year-old Wilmington man was sentenced to 90 years in prison for a 2016 fatal shooting in a Wilmington nightclub. Deputy Attorneys General Annemarie Puit and Timothy Maguire secured the sentence for Tyerin Griffin. In April 2016, Griffin was in the Shades of Blue Club in the 3800 block of Governor Printz Boulevard when he shot one man, then walked up to 31-year-old Nathaniel Mangrum, shot him once, and then fired two more shots at Mangrum, hitting him while he was on the ground. Mangrum died a short time later, the first victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries. In March 2018, a Superior Court jury convicted Griffin of Manslaughter, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and one count of Reckless Endangering. Griffin, barred from having a gun because of previous felony convictions for drug and robbery offenses, was sentenced by a judge as a habitual offender to a total of 90 years in prison.

A 39-year-old Ellendale man faces up to 25 years in prison for his guilty plea to Assault First Degree and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol in relation to a crash that severely injured a 10-year-old girl. Deputy Attorney General Stephen Smith secured the plea from Oliver Barnes. In March 2018, Barnes was driving at a speed approaching 100 miles per hour when he ran into a car stopped at a stop light at the intersection of Bay Road and Blue Hen Boulevard in Dover. At the time of crash, Barnes had a blood alcohol content of .25, more than three times the legal limit, and the crash caused permanent injuries to a 10-year-old girl who was in the car that was hit. The Dover Police Department conducted the investigation on the case, with DOJ social worker Kerry McElwee and administrative assistant Samantha Huey assisting with the prosecution. Barnes faces between 2 to 25 years in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in September, and is currently serving a 2-year sentence for a Rape Fourth Degree conviction.

Deputy Attorney General Erika Flaschner secured a guilty plea to drug and weapons charges, resolving two different cases at the same time. Shamar Clark, 29, of Wilmington, pled guilty to Drug Dealing Cocaine, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. In July 2017, police on surveillance in the area of the 1600 block of West 3rd Street in Wilmington observed Clark conduct what they believed was a drug sale. When stopped by police, Clark was found carrying more than 6 grams of cocaine. In December 2017, officers in the area of Pleasant and Harrison Streets in the city saw Clark take what appeared to be a large firearm from the side of a house, and get into a waiting car. When police conducted a vehicle stop, the barrel and extended magazine of a loaded semi-automatic handgun were visibly protruding from under the passenger seat. The State will seek to have Clark, who is prohibited from having a gun because of previous drug and weapons convictions, sentenced as a habitual offender in August, leading to a sentence between 17 years and life in prison.

Deputy Attorney General Kelly Sheridan secured a prison sentence for a New Castle man who pled guilty in February to robbing a convenience store. In August 2017, Santos Banks, 32, walked into the Country Made Store in the 100 block of Christiana Road in New Castle with his face covered by a black cloth, displayed what was believed to be a handgun, and demanded cash. Banks pled guilty to Robbery Second Degree, Aggravated Menacing and Wearing a Disguise During the Commission of a Felony. Banks, a habitual offender based on previous convictions for Rape in the Fourth Degree, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and Theft of a Firearm, was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 7 years in prison including the KEY substance abuse treatment program, followed by completion of the CREST After Care program, then 1 year of probation. DOJ social worker Crystal Pitts and paralegal Julie Caputo worked on the case.

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