Columbus robbery gang of 12 charged in 75-count indictment

A police investigation into a series of incidents in late 2014 and early 2015 has ballooned into a voluminous court case in which 12 defendants are accused of multiple robberies and assaults in a 75-count indictment.

Authorities now are wondering whether 12 defendants facing dozens of charges can all be tried at once in a single Columbus courtroom.

Investigators said what began as one robbery investigation grew as they were led to additional suspects who were charged in even more cases, the result of a gang of associates who not only would target businesses such as liquor stores, but also randomly would rob people they saw on the street, or use social media to set up meetings with victims and then rob them.

One example: On Jan. 15, 2015, Rodrie James Taylor, Orlandos Kantrell Tatum and a third perpetrator still unidentified arranged to meet a man at the Popeye’s restaurant, 4501 River Road, to buy tennis shoes from him, police said.

They got the victim in their car and took him to Apex Road, where they pistol-whipped him and took his wallet, cell phone, the shoes he wanted to sell and the shoes he was wearing, detectives said. The beating cost the victim his front teeth, they said.

Investigators’ retracing the social media exchange led to the arrests, they said.

The other suspects

Now Taylor, 24, and Tatum, 21, are facing trial along with 10 others identified in the indictment as Gene Autry Bryer III, 26; Queontate Leon Bular, 24; Devonte Devoneer Howard Jr. (aka “Bootany” or “Vonte”), 23; Ebonee Tarkei Huff, 22; Courtney Cortez Jackson, 23; Aquarius Dominique Nelson, 31; Montavious Marice Steplight, 20; Richard Lewis Stewart Jr., 27; Bernard Gibson II, 23; and Jermichael Laquarus Bellamy (aka “Easthighland Gscrew”), 23.

Their endeavors were not always successful, authorities said: One merchant saw masked men with guns coming and locked the front door before they could get in, and another pulled his own weapon, dissuading them from following through on a robbery.

The robberies and assaults happened all over town. Among the businesses targeted were the Cedar Hills Package Store at 4591 Old Cusseta Road; the Holly Hills Beverage Shop at 3846 St. Mary’s Road; the Hot Wings Express at 1142-D Fort Benning Road; Papa’s Package Store at 6381 Milgen Road; the Cascade Liquor Store at 4200 River Road; the Little Package Store at 1423 Warm Springs Road; the Petro Mart at 6262 Macon Road; and the Marathon gas station at 2047 Warm Springs Road.

One reason the criminal counts so quickly accumulated was that when robbing a business, the suspects also robbed any customers who were present, police said.

Among the individual victims were people from Fayetteville, Ga., and from Phenix City, Smiths Station and Pittsview, Ala.

The indictment

Here is a rundown of the suspects and their charges as listed in the indictment, which does not list locations for the incidents reported:

• Nov. 15, 2014: Bryer, Bular, Nelson and Steplight, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a safe from a man.
• Nov. 24, 2014: Bryer and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony, for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 1, 2014: Bryer, Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a 58-year-old man’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 1, 2014: Bryer, Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a 51-year-old man.
• Dec. 1, 2014: Bryer, Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 1, 2014: Bryer, Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 1, 2014: Bryer, Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for assaulting a 60-year-old man.
• Dec. 3, 2014: Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 3, 2014: Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 3, 2014: Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for attacking a man.
• Dec. 3, 2014: Nelson, Stewart and Gibson, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for assaulting a woman.
• Dec. 8, 2014: Bryer, Steplight and Gibson, criminal attempt to commit a felony and using a firearm to commit a felony for donning masks and taking guns to try to rob Papa’s Package Store.
• Dec. 8, 2014: Bryer, Bular, Nelson, Steplight and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a 65-year-old man.
• Dec. 8, 2014: Bryer, Bular, Nelson, Steplight, Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a 39-year-old man.
• Dec. 8, 2014: Bryer, Bular, Nelson, Steplight and Gibson, armed robbery, aggravated assault and two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony for assaulting and taking money at gunpoint from a 58-year-old man.
• Dec. 8, 2014: Bryer, Bular, Nelson, Steplight and Gibson, criminal attempt to commit a felony and using a firearm to commit a felony for trying to enter Ellex’s convenience store with masks and guns.
• Dec. 12, 2014: Steplight, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a man.
• Dec. 20, 2014: Howard, Huff and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 20, 2014: Howard, Huff and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a woman.
• Dec. 20, 2014: Howard, Huff and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a woman’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 20, 2014: Howard, Huff and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking another woman’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 20, 2014: Howard, Huff and Nelson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a man’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 22, 2014: Howard, Huff, Nelson and Bellamy, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a 37-year-old.
• Dec. 22, 2014: Howard, Huff, Nelson and Bellamy, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for assaulting a man.
• Dec. 22, 2014: Howard, Huff, Nelson and Bellamy, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a woman’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 22, 2014: Howard, Huff, Nelson and Bellamy, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a man’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 22, 2014: Howard, Huff, Nelson and Bellamy, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for assaulting a man.
• Dec. 30, 2014: Bular and Gibson, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a woman’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 30, 2014: Bular and Gibson, armed robbery and and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking another woman’s money at gunpoint.
• Dec. 30, 2014: Jackson and Taylor, armed robbery, aggravated assault and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money at gunpoint from a 25-year-old man.
• Dec. 30, 2014: Jackson and Taylor, armed robbery, aggravated assault, hijacking a motor vehicle and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money and a Honda Accord from a Phenix City man.
• Jan. 15, 2015: Tatum and Taylor, armed robbery, using a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of aggravated assault for taking shoes, wallet and a cell phone from a 23-year-old man who was pistol-whipped.
• March 5, 2015: Howard, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking a handbag, wallet and car key from a 27-year-old woman.
• March 5, 2015: Howard, armed robbery and using a firearm to commit a felony for taking money and a cell phone from another 27-year-old woman.

So far no trial date has been set for the suspects.

This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Columbus robbery gang of 12 charged in 75-count indictment."