Four alleged Savannah gang members indicted in September revenge slaying

Four alleged members of the nationally affiliated Bloods gang were indicted for murder and related charges on Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of a 24-year-old man who was killed five days after defending himself during an armed robbery.

Arthur Newton, 23; Artez Strain, 22; Timothy Coleman, 21; and Tyriek Walker, 21, were indicted by the Chatham County grand juryon murder and gang terrorism charges in the Sept. 12 slaying of Dominique Powell.

Also indicted on separate counts were Antwan Drayton, 31, and Sharonte Williams, 27, who was identified as Newton’s girlfriend.

The four key indictments, retued on evidence presented by District Attoey Meg Heap, came a week after Savannah-Chatham Police Chief Joseph Lumpkin and federal officials announced the arrests in the revenge slaying.

According to officials, police responded to a shooting on Sept. 12 in the 900 block of Garey Avenue in Tatemville where they found Powell, 24, suffering with a fatal gunshot wound outside a residence.

Powell was the victim of an armed robbery on Sept. 8 in the neighborhood, police said. During the robbery, Powell exchanged gunfire with would-be robbers Drayton and Newton, police said. Investigators concluded that Powell shot Drayton and Newton in self-defense during the robbery.

After being arrested, Newton ordered the death of Powell. Strain, Coleman and Walker carried out those orders and participated in Powell’s death, Lumpkin said.

According to the indictments, Coleman caused Powell’s death by shooting him on Sept. 12.

The indictments charge that Newton ”did intentionally encourage and procure Coleman to commit the crime of malice murder by shooting Powell.

Newton also was indicted on a felony-murder count by procuring Coleman to kill Powell by shooting him during an aggravated assault and while influencing a witness, both of which are felonies.

Grand jurors also charged that:

• Newton contacted Coleman and requested that he kill Powell.

• Newton and Coleman contacted Walker and requested that he provide a firearm to Coleman.

• Newton and Coleman contacted Walker and asked that he provide Coleman with Powell’s known addresses.

• Strain drove Coleman to the scene to kill Powell.

• Coleman did shoot Powell.

The indictment also charged Newton with aggravated assault and influencing a witness by using physical force toward Powell to influence his testimony as a witness in the trial of Newton.

The indictment also charged Newton and the other three with being associated with Bloods, a criminal street gang, in the case. It also contained repeated charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

In a separate indictment, Drayton was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in the Sept. 8 attack on Powell.

Robbers intended to take Powell’s wallet, cell phone and a firearm and pointed a handgun at him, the indictment said.

And, grand jurors indicted Williams on a charge of criminal attempt to commit a felony.

That indictment, retued on evidence presented by Assistant District Attoey Matthew Breedon, charged that between Sept. 8-12 she intentionally attempted to influence a witness by having telephone contact with Newton, and discussed how to influence a woman to drop criminal charges against Newton.