Marcel Vines and Malique Lewis, members of the Clay Terrace crew, received life sentences plus 60 years in U.S. District Court for their roles in the kidnappings and murders of two individuals. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., along with officials from the FBI, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Prince George’s County Police Department.
Following a four-week trial, Vines and Lewis were found guilty on August 19, 2024. Charges included kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, armed kidnapping, first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The prosecution presented evidence that Vines and Lewis conspired with another individual to kidnap and kill Armani Nico Coles and Kerrice Lewis as an act of revenge for the death of their friend Ronzay Green. On the day of the incident, after failing to find their intended target at a gas station where Kerrice Lewis was present, they kidnapped her from an AutoZone parking lot.
Later that day, using Ms. Lewis' phone, they lured Mr. Coles to another location where he was also kidnapped. Both victims were forced into Ms. Lewis' car; Mr. Coles was shot when he attempted to escape on Interstate 295 in Maryland.
Ms. Lewis was later killed in an alley behind Adrian Street Southeast after being shot multiple times and set on fire inside her vehicle.
Ballistic evidence linked both murders to firearms used by Vines and Lewis. Fingerprints matching Vines were found at one crime scene item related to Mr. Coles’ body disposal.
Both defendants have been detained since January 2018 following arrests on unrelated charges before being charged for these crimes later that year.
The investigation involved cooperation between several law enforcement agencies including the FBI's Washington Field Office and MPD among others while prosecution efforts were led by Assistant U.S Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen, George Eliopoulos, and Colleen Kukowski.