Daquante Thomas, Murder-for-Hire, Maryland 2023

BALTIMORE, MD – Twenty-year-old Daquante Thomas, also known as “Glock,” will spend the next 35 years of his life behind bars after being sentenced today for his role in a chilling murder-for-hire plot. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin handed down the sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, for discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.

The victim, 23-year-old Juan Ross of Columbia, Maryland, was gunned down on October 4, 2020, in the area of Basket Ring Road. Investigators with the Howard County Police Department quickly zeroed in on Thomas as a suspect. The motive? According to court documents, Ross was accused of cooperating with law enforcement – a claim leveled by a co-conspirator in a live social media broadcast and through text messages. This accusation sealed Ross’s fate.

Prosecutors detailed a calculated scheme. Thomas admitted to accepting payment from co-conspirator 1 to eliminate Ross. In the days leading up to the murder, Thomas and another accomplice, co-conspirator 2, exchanged texts pinpointing Ross’s location. On October 3, 2020, the pair scouted the area. The following day, they drove to Basket Ring Road, located Ross, and unleashed a hail of gunfire, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. They then attempted to flee, with co-conspirator 2 purchasing an Uber card at a nearby drugstore to distance himself from the crime scene.

“This case is a tragedy for the victim and the affected families,” stated U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “I am hopeful that our reenergized law enforcement and community partnerships will help break this cycle of violence.” ATF Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby echoed this sentiment, adding, “The prioritizing of money over humanity in this case shows just how little this defendant values the lives of others. We cannot allow individuals like this to walk freely in our communities, willing to murder citizens for the right price.”

Two other men, Jourdain Larose, a/k/a “JBlacc,” 27, of Ellicott City, Maryland, and Tyrik Braxton, a/k/a “Son-Son,” 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, are currently awaiting trial on charges of federal murder-for-hire conspiracy, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire, and use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death. They remain detained. Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson emphasized the collaborative effort, stating, “We are committed to working in a collaborative manner to solve cases, make arrests, and hold criminals, such as Daquante Thomas, accountable for their actions.”

The sentence serves as a grim reminder of the ruthless calculus of contract killings and the devastating consequences for both the victim and the community. While Thomas faces decades in prison, the investigation remains ongoing, with authorities vowing to bring all those involved in this cold-blooded plot to justice.

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