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Silver Spring resident Malik Jefferson, was convicted of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence, and robbery, for his role in the death of 22-year-old Jose Osvaldo Genao Romero in Rockville in February 2022.
On Feb. 17, 2022, officers were called to the intersection of Bradley Avenue and Fletcher Place in Rockville, where they found Genao Romero suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Jefferson and Jackson Garcia, 20, of Silver Spring, were both arrested and charged with his murder.
“Today our hearts are with the family of the 22-year-old young man who lost his life in this case. Invariably, when we have a homicide resulting from a drug deal gone bad in Montgomery County, the drug involved is marijuana," State's Attorney John McCarthy said following Garcia's conviction last summer. "This is yet another example of that."
According to prosecutors, on the night of the fateful incident, Jefferson and Garcia picked up Genao Romero outside of his home and drove him to the intersection. A nearby surveillance camera captured what happened next, when the pair attacked him, leading investigators to the duo.
“This is yet another case of a marijuana deal gone bad in Montgomery County resulting in murder," McCarthy added. "The purchasing of marijuana within the black-market, which continues to exist despite legal changes that have taken place in the state of Maryland, remains extremely dangerous."
When he is sentenced in May, Jefferson faces up to 75 years in prison. Garcia faces life in prison when he is sentenced next month.
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