A day after a young Bloods gang recruit admitted to gunning down a man in Baltimore County, a second member of the gang pleaded guilty Wednesday.
Troy Smith, 24, of Essex, entered an Alford plea in Baltimore County Circuit Court to conspiracy to commit robbery with a deadly weapon in connection with the Dec. 17, 2006, slaying of Marquel Smith, 32, in Essex.
The plea means Troy Smith maintains his innocence, but admits prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him.
On Tuesday, James “Lil? J” Smoot, 15, pleaded guilty to murdering Smith when he was only 14. He faces up to 30 years.
Two older gang suspects, Troy Smith and Tavon Mouzone, 21, of Baltimore, ordered Marquel Smith to pay the gang $250 a week to sell marijuana in his Essex neighborhood, the unit block of Rumelia Circle, according to police.
When Smith refused, Mouzone told him he would send “some Bloods to run up in his house,” chargingdocuments state.
Smoot, a new gang member, was instructed to rob Smith and shoot him, if necessary, according to court documents.
At about 9:10 p.m., the teenager knocked on Smith?s door and “immediately began shooting the victim in the upper torso,” police said.
After Smith fell to the ground, another gang suspect, Michael Banks, 20, of Altoona, Pa. ? whom Baltimore County and Baltimore City police said is well-known to them ? ran up and shot the victim several times, according to charging documents.
Opening arguments against Banks and Mouzone are expected to begin Monday afternoon in Towson.
Baltimore County police say they have identified gang members in every precinct in the county. Baltimore City has about 2,600 known gang members, including 400 Bloods, police say.
