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Virginia Beach man sentenced to 29 years in prison for a robbery plot that turned fatal

Posted at 12:48 PM, Feb 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-15 19:32:48-05

Photo of Anton Nelson Johsua.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A 21-year-old Virginia Beach man was sentenced on Monday to 29 years in prison for his part in a robbery that turned fatal back on July 19, 2016.

Anton Nelson Johsua was sentenced after being found guilty of Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Attempted Robbery, Use of a Firearm and Conspiracy after a four-day jury trial, according to Virginia Beach officials. Circuit Court Judge Les L. Lilley, who presided over the trial, imposed that sentence on Monday.

Joshua was apart of a robbery that became fatal after his co-defendant, Maruel Leary, sought his help in robbing Frederico Roundtree. Leary had accused Roundtree of stealing a gun from a friend of his, Maurice Walters, who was also involved in the fatal robbery.

Leary recruited Joshu, Walters and others to get back at Roundtree after the two had gotten in a fight when Leary confronted Roundtree about the gun on the afternoon of July 19, 2016.

Leary picked up Joshua, Walters, Sean Patterson, Casheon Jones and a juvenile later that evening to commit the crime. The members of the group had masks, guns and latex gloves when they went to commit the revenge plot they had developed. Joshua himself had brought a clown mask and a gun, according to officials.

The events of the evening would lead Roundtree to be struck in the leg, while Leary was hit in the stomach.  Leary fired his gun a 11 times, striking an associate of Roundtree’s, Taiwan  Simon, in the head and killing him.

Joshua would be picked up by police later that evening when he was in the area of the shooting.

During the trial, phone calls were heard by the jury, which were made by Joshua while in jail awaiting trail. In several of the calls, incriminating statements were made, including talks about a co-defendant coming in to lie for him at trial.

Joshua has prior convictions for Assault and Battery and Distribution of Marijuana.

The status of the other co-defendants is as follows:

  • Marquel Leary – pled guilty to First Degree Felony Murder, Aggravated Malicious Wounding, Attempted Robbery, Use of a Firearm (3 counts), and Conspiracy; sentenced to 76 years in prison with 35 years suspended, leaving 41 years to serve.
  • Maurice Walters – pled guilty to Malicious Wounding, Attempted Robbery, and Conspiracy; sentencing set for February 27, 2018.
  • Casheon Jones – pled guilty to Malicious Wounding, Conspiracy, and Accessory After the Fact – Homicide; sentenced to 26 years, with 20 suspended, leaving 6 years to serve.
  • Sean Patterson – pled guilty to Conspiracy; sentencing set for April 2, 2018.
  • Juvenile co-defendant – pled guilty in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to Conspiracy; committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice for an indeterminate period of time.