HARRISBURG – In a shocking turn of events, Nicholas Preddy, a 32-year-old Baltimore man, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to kill an individual who Preddy believed was cooperating with federal authorities.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the sentencing, which occurred yesterday, with United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam stating that Preddy’s actions were part of an almost seven-year investigation into murders of three individuals that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County.
On that fateful day, Pennsylvania State Police officers responded to the crime scene and found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. All three victims had been shot and had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs. The suspects also set the bodies on fire.
The investigation revealed that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with Torey White and a co-conspirator and had been assisting them with their drug distribution operations. White and co-conspirator Kevin Coles learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Co-defendants Jerell Adgebesan and Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore-based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney.
Preddy, who was aware of the group’s purpose, waited outside in a van and did not participate in the killings. However, in the Spring of 2017, when the investigation focused on the actors from Baltimore, Preddy and the other defendants believed that one of their co-conspirators was cooperating with federal authorities. Preddy and others attempted to kidnap and kill the individual they suspected of cooperating to protect themselves from prosecution for the triple murders.
Preddy’s sentencing is part of a larger investigation that led to charges against several other individuals, including Kevin Coles, Jerell Adgebesan, Mark Johnson, Terrance Lawson, Tyrone Armstrong, and Torey White. Coles was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment for multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking. Adgebesan was sentenced to life imprisonment and a consecutive 10-year term of imprisonment for Hobbs Act robbery and being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery. Johnson was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment for obstructing the grand jury’s investigation, while Lawson and Armstrong were sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of violence and the importance of cooperation with law enforcement. As the investigation continues, it is clear that the suspects will face severe consequences for their actions.
Nicholas Preddy, 32, Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to kill an individual who Preddy believed was cooperating with federal authorities.
Criminal Charges: Attempting to kill a federal witness.
City and State: Baltimore, Maryland.
Exact Date: [Not specified in the source].
Sentence or Outcome: 30 years in federal prison.
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- Derrick Thomas Martin, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Analogue and Cocaine, Maryland 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Business Owner Kidnapping and Murder, Pennsylvania 2018 · North Carolina
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- Cody Michael Tarner, Arson of Government Vehicles, Maryland 2024 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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