Once-alleged gang members plead guilty to robbing, shooting street peddler at mosque

Three once-alleged gang members facing trial for shooting and robbing a Muslim street peddler outside a Columbus mosque pleaded guilty on Monday in Muscogee Superior Court.

Though a grand jury indicted Stephon Jelia Comar, Reginal Viald Stanley Jr. and Terrence Keon Seldon on charges of violating Georgia’s Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. Their indictment had accused them of being associated with the “KOK squad.”

They pleaded to charges stemming from the Feb. 25, 2014, robbery and shooting of Khalil Rabee outside the Masjid Al Jannah mosque at 6550 Forrest Road.

Authorities said Rabee had encountered three men on Gleason Avenue, off Forrest Road near Woodruff Farm Road, where the three came from the yard of a residence and talked about selling jewelry to him. Rabee became uncomfortable and left, driving to the mosque for evening prayers.

When he arrived there around 7 p.m., he noticed a red Honda Accord he had seen parked at the house on Gleason Avenue had followed him. He tried to get away, but the car blocked him and three men got out, firing a gun.

One bullet hit Rabee in the upper right shoulder, a second lodged in his door frame. At gunpoint he was ordered to get out of his car and give up his cash while one of the robbers took a box of perfume from his vehicle. The three then sped away.

Police retraced Rabee’s trail to the house on Gleason Avenue, where a witness told them who had been in the red Honda.

Stanley, 25, pleaded guilty to armed robbery, aggravated assault, using a firearm to commit a felony and being a convicted felon with a gun. Judge Gil McBride sentenced him to 20 years in prison with 10 to serve and the rest on probation.

Comar, 21, pleaded guilty to armed robbery, aggravated assault, using a firearm to commit a felony, fleeing from police, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, having a drug-related object (a digital scale) and driving without a license. The latter three counts were charged April 21, 2014, and were unrelated to the robbery and shooting.

McBride sentenced him to 20 years with 10 serve.

Seldon, 23, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery along with aggravated assault. His other charges were dropped. McBride sentenced him to 20 years in jail with 60 months to serve, and the rest on probation.

Court records show Stanley and Comar had previous offenses:

Stanley was charged March 26, 2014, with possessing 9.5 grams of crack cocaine, 14 grams of marijuana and a digital scale. He pleaded guilty June 29, 2015, and was sentenced to 15 years with seven to serve.

On Jan. 16, 2013, he was charged with possessing crack cocaine and obstructing police. He pleaded guilty Aug. 19, 2013, and was sentenced to serve six months at the county prison and five years’ probation.

On Aug. 22, 2008, he was accused of using a pistol to rob two men and a woman. He pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery Dec. 2, 2008, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five to serve and the rest on probation.

Comar pleaded guilty Aug. 6, 2013, to possessing cocaine, using a firearm to commit a crime, tampering with evidence and reckless conduct, the latter charge alleging that on July 19, 2012, he left a 9 mm handgun where a child younger than 5 could reach it. He was sentenced to serve a year in jail and 10 years on probation.

On Jan. 3, 2014, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of loitering and possessing less than an ounce of marijuana, after police found him hanging around the LaQuinta Inn, 3201 Macon Road. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation on each count.

This story was originally published October 3, 2016 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Once-alleged gang members plead guilty to robbing, shooting street peddler at mosque."