A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to commit a robbery that, despite his reported wishes, ended with the murder of his drug dealer in a Southeast Roanoke house.
Garrett Isaac Williams accepted a plea agreement that sets a range of punishment at between nine and half years and 14 years in prison when he is sentenced later by U.S. District Judge Thomas Cullen.
Williams and a second Roanoke man, Joseph Richard Walker, were regular customers of drug dealer from York, Pennsylvania, who would regularly drive to Roanoke to deliver large amounts of marijuana, according to court records.
The arrangement soured in April 2023, when Williams came to owe a large sum of money to Ethan Ryan Bert, who had agreed to "front" drugs with payment to be made later.
Bert attempted to reach Walker to talk about the debt but inadvertently called his mother, which prosecutors said set in motion a plan for what happened next.
The two men decided to lure Bert to Roanoke for another drug transaction, during which they would rob the 20-year-old in an attempt to scare him away for good. In planning the crime with Walker, Williams was "adamant" that they should not kill Bert, according to a summary of evidence presented in court Wednesday.
Williams was not present at Walker's home when the drug dealer arrived with about 12 pounds of marijuana. Walker, 31, admitted last month that he shot Bert twice in the head, put his body in the trunk of his car, and then drove to Bedford County and set the vehicle on fire.
Walker will face between 25 and 35 years in prison when he is sentenced later in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Laurence Hammack (540) 981-3239
laurence.hammack@roanoke.com
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