Second gang assault, robbery defendant now cooperating with prosecutors
NORWICH – Another of the co-defendants in a gang assault, robbery accepted a plea deal Monday that would allow her to plead to a misdemeanor, in exchange Jade T. Orlando agreed to continue cooperating with police.
The four defendants in the case, Orlando, 19, Landon T. Cummings, 21, Hunter J. Speenburgh, 19, and Brenden C. Gager, 18, were indicted with several violent felonies, including two counts of robbery, a gang assault and an assault.
According to Orlando, the defendants lured a 20-year-old victim into a violent ambush, stealing his valuables and leaving him semi-unconscious beneath a car with a fractured eye socket and a number of his teeth knocked out. The crime occurred at 110 Royal Ave in Norwich, at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, 2018.
Cummings and Orlando have taken plea deals and are cooperating with prosecutors. Both testified in court and indicated Gager was the main instigator and perpetrator of the violence.
District Attorney Michael Ferrarese said Orlando had been cooperative since her arrest and had willingly offered a statement to police the day she was apprehended, on Oct. 3, 2018, the day after the crime, offering investigators information about the case.
Orlando told the court she was not initially aware of the plan to rob the victim, saying she had been asked by another co-defendant, Gager, to help him find marijuana to buy, at about 7 p.m., Oct 2, 2018. About three hours before the crime took place.
“[Gager] asked if I could find him two ounces.” She said, before clarifying, “of weed.”
Orlando said she messaged a friend named Pope and he directed her to contact the victim in the case, David Pollock.
She then contacted Pollock by phone and “I asked him to meet me,” she said.
Ferrarese said, “So initially you thought you were arranging a sale between two individuals?”
She said yes.
Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir Jr. then asked, “and what was your understanding of the robbery?”
As the victim was coming over to the residence Orlando said Gager then texted her the group’s true intention of robbing the victim.
“The plan - Brenden [Gager] and the other two boys were in my yard waiting,” she said.
Orlando texted Gager that the victim was on his way, it was unclear in court if she did that before or after being informed of the intended robbery.
Gager told her, he and the other defendants Speenburgh, and Cummings, were hiding in different spots in the yard waiting for the victim to arrive.
Gager texted her that he was going to tackle the victim when he arrived, she said.
“I hope he brings out all his money,” Orlando said, recalling another text sent to her by Gager, right before the ambush.
“After being made aware, did you take any steps to contact law enforcement?” asked Revoir.
She said no.
“Because of that you are responsible. You are what we call an accomplice,” explained Revoir.
Orlando said she did not see the fight but did recall seeing the victim after.
“I saw someone crawling to the back of a car,” she said.
The plea agreement is almost the same deal offered to another co-defendant, Landon T. Cummings, on Friday.
Both Orlando and Cummings were allowed to plead guilty to one count of felony assault, with the understanding that the charges will be reduced to misdemeanor assault In Dec. 2019, so long as the testify against the others codefendant and comply will all the terms the court set. They will be monitored and drug tested by the probation department during that time.
If they violate the agreement they could be sentenced on the felony charge and sent to prison for up to three years.
She was sentenced to interim probation, pending the deal, if they plead guilty to a reduced charge, a misdemeanor, they will be sentenced to serve sixty days in jail and three years probation. Each will also serve 16 hours of community service and had an order of protection issued against them to stay away from the victim.
Several family members of the victim attended court on Monday and seemed more satisfied with Orlando's testimony than with Cummings' last week, when he attempted to claim self-defense during his guilty plea, and then back-tracked on the statement in court.
"Thing I really want, we really want form all of this, is for these kid's to learn something from all this," said the father of the victim Mike Pollock.
"You're heading to a bad place," he said, "you are all young there is still time to change ways. Learn from this, change your ways."
He then added, "And I mean that, my own son included. Don't get mixed up in this sort of stuff. You'll go nowhere, it happens to people around here all the time. You don't want to be one of them."
The four defendants in the case, Orlando, 19, Landon T. Cummings, 21, Hunter J. Speenburgh, 19, and Brenden C. Gager, 18, were indicted with several violent felonies, including two counts of robbery, a gang assault and an assault.
According to Orlando, the defendants lured a 20-year-old victim into a violent ambush, stealing his valuables and leaving him semi-unconscious beneath a car with a fractured eye socket and a number of his teeth knocked out. The crime occurred at 110 Royal Ave in Norwich, at around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 2, 2018.
Cummings and Orlando have taken plea deals and are cooperating with prosecutors. Both testified in court and indicated Gager was the main instigator and perpetrator of the violence.
District Attorney Michael Ferrarese said Orlando had been cooperative since her arrest and had willingly offered a statement to police the day she was apprehended, on Oct. 3, 2018, the day after the crime, offering investigators information about the case.
Orlando told the court she was not initially aware of the plan to rob the victim, saying she had been asked by another co-defendant, Gager, to help him find marijuana to buy, at about 7 p.m., Oct 2, 2018. About three hours before the crime took place.
“[Gager] asked if I could find him two ounces.” She said, before clarifying, “of weed.”
Orlando said she messaged a friend named Pope and he directed her to contact the victim in the case, David Pollock.
She then contacted Pollock by phone and “I asked him to meet me,” she said.
Ferrarese said, “So initially you thought you were arranging a sale between two individuals?”
She said yes.
Chenango County Court Judge Frank Revoir Jr. then asked, “and what was your understanding of the robbery?”
As the victim was coming over to the residence Orlando said Gager then texted her the group’s true intention of robbing the victim.
“The plan - Brenden [Gager] and the other two boys were in my yard waiting,” she said.
Orlando texted Gager that the victim was on his way, it was unclear in court if she did that before or after being informed of the intended robbery.
Gager told her, he and the other defendants Speenburgh, and Cummings, were hiding in different spots in the yard waiting for the victim to arrive.
Gager texted her that he was going to tackle the victim when he arrived, she said.
“I hope he brings out all his money,” Orlando said, recalling another text sent to her by Gager, right before the ambush.
“After being made aware, did you take any steps to contact law enforcement?” asked Revoir.
She said no.
“Because of that you are responsible. You are what we call an accomplice,” explained Revoir.
Orlando said she did not see the fight but did recall seeing the victim after.
“I saw someone crawling to the back of a car,” she said.
The plea agreement is almost the same deal offered to another co-defendant, Landon T. Cummings, on Friday.
Both Orlando and Cummings were allowed to plead guilty to one count of felony assault, with the understanding that the charges will be reduced to misdemeanor assault In Dec. 2019, so long as the testify against the others codefendant and comply will all the terms the court set. They will be monitored and drug tested by the probation department during that time.
If they violate the agreement they could be sentenced on the felony charge and sent to prison for up to three years.
She was sentenced to interim probation, pending the deal, if they plead guilty to a reduced charge, a misdemeanor, they will be sentenced to serve sixty days in jail and three years probation. Each will also serve 16 hours of community service and had an order of protection issued against them to stay away from the victim.
Several family members of the victim attended court on Monday and seemed more satisfied with Orlando's testimony than with Cummings' last week, when he attempted to claim self-defense during his guilty plea, and then back-tracked on the statement in court.
"Thing I really want, we really want form all of this, is for these kid's to learn something from all this," said the father of the victim Mike Pollock.
"You're heading to a bad place," he said, "you are all young there is still time to change ways. Learn from this, change your ways."
He then added, "And I mean that, my own son included. Don't get mixed up in this sort of stuff. You'll go nowhere, it happens to people around here all the time. You don't want to be one of them."
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