COLUMBUS – Two Columbus men could face the death penalty if convicted of charges they murdered and intimidated potential witnesses while running a drug operation.
In an indictment announced Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman, a federal grand jury charged Antwan Hutchinson and Michael Favors with the murders of two potential witnesses and the beating of a third as part of a drug conspiracy in which they used “trap houses” that were in others’ names as locations to store and sell the drugs.
Glassman says it was part of the conspiracy to intimidate, assault, threaten and torture drug addicts or others who owed money or drugs to the members of the conspiracy, which distributed cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana.
Hutchinson, 25, and Favors, 24, allegedly killed Sidney Campbell and Marie Stamp because they were potential witnesses against them and are also accused beating Cody Campbell, who subsequently died, Glassman said.
The 12-count indictment includes death-eligible specifications under the Federal Death Penalty Act.
It accuses Hutchinson and Favors of two counts of conspiracy to murder a witness, two counts of murder of a witness, two counts of murder through use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, as well as witness tampering, weapons and drugs charges.
Hutchinson is also charged with an additional count each of conspiracy to tamper with a witness, use of a firearm during a crime of violence and use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The two men have been in custody since their arrest on March 27.