COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal jury convicted a Columbus man of murdering three people as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a marijuana dealer.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Larry Williams Jr., also known as "J Streets" and "J," was a leader of a narcotics conspiracy in 2018 to rob a marijuana dealer of drugs and cash at his residence.
Williams solicited others in the conspiracy to learn of potential drug traffickers to rob them of their drugs and money.
On June 27, 2018, the defendants robbed at gunpoint a drug house on East North Broadway in Columbus. The coconspirators planned and carried out the robbery to steal one of the resident's marijuana and cash and then profit from the sale of the drugs. They recruited Williams to help in the robbery.
During the robbery, Williams murdered a different person who was at the house, 23-year-old Connor Reynolds of Grove City.
In August 2018, Williams then murdered 52-year-old Henry Watson to prevent him from providing information regarding Reynolds' murder to law enforcement. Immediately after Watson's murder, Williams murdered 48-year-old Tera Pennington to stop her from serving as a witness to the previous crimes.
Williams then told other people to clean the crime scene with bleach and other chemicals. Williams additionally told other people to dismember and remove the bodies from the crime scene and bury the victims' remains in a different location.
Williams was found guilty on the following charges:
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances
- Murder related to drug trafficking crime
- Robbery
- Murder related to crime of violence (3 counts)
- Conspiracy to destroy evidence
- Murder of a witness (2 counts)
- Obstruction of justice
- Conspiracy to obstruct justice
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
- Distribution of cocaine
Williams faces life in prison.