Guilty.
The word came from the mouth of the jury foreman 11 times in U.S. District Court on Thursday.
But the men convicted weren?t in the court room to hear the verdict ? they were behind bars.
On Thursday, Solothal “Itchy Man” Thomas, 30, and Edward “Bam” Countess, 30, both of Baltimore, were convicted of participating in a 2001 murder-for-hire scheme in Baltimore County.
The two refused to participate in their own trial, arguing that they were not subject to the jurisdiction of the federal courts.
Prosecutors said during the trial that on Oct. 2, 2001, Thomas and Countess ambushed Jesse Williams, 33, in the 8200 block of Courtland Manor Road in Baltimore County as he got in his car to go to work and shot him 15 times, killing him.
Notorious Baltimore drug dealer Tyree Stewart, who testified against Thomas and Countess, ordered the murder in retaliation for a 1999 robbery for a fee of $10,000, prosecutors said.
Between 2001 and 2003, Stewart was at the helm of a marijuana ring that included two former Central Booking employees and distributed more than 10 tons of marijuana, according to prosecutors.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod Rosenstein called Thursday?s conviction “important.”
“If they were out on the street, they could have killed again,” he said.
Family and friends of Thomas and Countess said after the verdict that the men were “railroaded” and are innocent of killing Williams.
Rose Cooper, Thomas?s aunt, said she was ashamed that Thomas? older brother, Danta, testified against him.
“Danta did a lot of lying,” Cooper said.
Thomas? Baltimore attorney, Arcangelo Tuminelli, said the prosecutors? case was tough to beat.
“Given that there were four corroborating witnesses … it was an enormous amount of evidence to overcome,” he said.
A friend of Thomas and Countess who gave his name as simply “Jay” said the men who testified against Thomas and Countess should have remained silent.
“If you get caught, you should be a man and take responsibility,” he said. “You shouldn?t tell on somebody else.”
Thomas and Countess face mandatory sentences of life in prison. Judge Catherine Blake will sentence them Oct. 27.
The men who testified against Thomas and Countess, including Danta Thomas and Stewart, have been convicted of participating in Williams? death and also face life in prison.
Their sentencing dates have not been scheduled.
