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Baltimore Man Sentenced to Over 31 Years in Prison for Murder Extortion
Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking display of violence, Matthew Hightower, 34, of Baltimore, was sentenced today to 380 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for collection of a debt by extortionate means, and use of interstate facilities for extortion resulting in death in connection with the murder of victim David Wutoh.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2013, Matthew Hightower was employed at RX Resources and Solutions (RXRS) as a delivery driver. RXRS was owned by Hightower’s co-defendant, Harry Crawford, who was also Hightower’s boss at RXRS. Crawford approached Hightower to facilitate a loan to Crawford’s longtime friend, David Wutoh. Wutoh promised Hightower that in exchange for $15,000 in cash, Wutoh would pay Hightower $20,000 within a short period of time. Crawford also loaned Wutoh at least $6,000 of his own money.
Wutoh did not pay either man back the money he had borrowed, and as a result, from May through September 2013, Crawford and Hightower used cellular telephones and electronic messaging to harass, threaten, and coerce Wutoh to repay the loans. For example, Crawford left Wutoh a voicemail on June 11, 2013, “Dave, I hope you don’t wanna go to sleep permanently. Give me a call.”
After further discussions about whether Wutoh would pay Hightower back, Crawford texted Wutoh on June 12, 2013, “You are putting me in a bad bad bad position I vouch for you and now you are sh**ting on Matt I have no control if you get hurt…” In response to these threats, Wutoh paid Hightower $6,000 of the $20,000 he had promised. On August 27, 2013, Hightower texted Wutoh that he was “really sick of your lies.”
On September 6, 2013, Wutoh sent a message to Hightower in an attempt to repay Hightower with prescription drugs instead of money, which Hightower refused. Between September 6 and September 9, 2013, Hightower sent several messages to Wutoh about wanting his “money,” including a text to Wutoh stating, “Wheres my cheese man I don’t have time for these games.” “Cheese” is a slang term for money. On September 13, 2013, Crawford sent a message to Wutoh telling him to put him in his will. Wutoh responded to Crawford, “you are.”
According to trial testimony, on the evening of September 21 and the early morning hours of September 22, 2013, Hightower traveled from West Baltimore to East Baltimore County in the area of Wutoh’s home. At approximately 2:45 a.m., Matthew Hightower walked up to the driveway of the house where Wutoh was staying and shot seven times through the window at Wutoh, who was asleep on the couch in the living room. Wutoh was shot in the arm, leg, and head, killing him almost instantly. Then Hightower fled the scene.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Nicholas DiGiulio, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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