Federal jury quickly convicts pair of thieves

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A federal jury on Monday quickly convicted two men on robbery and drug counts after a one-day trial.

Deron Howell, 25, formerly of Swissvale, and Kahlil Shelton, 23, formerly of Duquesne, had been indicted in September on multiple counts related to robbery incidents in Cranberry and Pittsburgh last year.

Federal prosecutors said the pair robbed two people of marijuana in Cranberry on Aug. 7. Howell and Shelton told the victim they wanted to buy 6 pounds of pot, then drove with an accomplice to the victim’s house in a quiet neighborhood. There, Shelton excused himself to go to the bathroom.

When he came back, he pressed a gun to the heads of both victims while Howell robbed them of the drugs, according to government evidence. One of the victims fought with Shelton. During the struggle, the accomplice shot the victim through the chest. He survived.

In July, Howell and two accomplices used guns to rob four professional video game players of $6,700. Howell picked up the victims at the airport and drove them to Lincoln-Lemington, where he locked them in the car. The two accomplices then pulled the victims from the car and held them at gunpoint with an AK-47 while Howell robbed them of the cash, their luggage and other belongings.

Howell and Shelton will be sentenced Oct. 1 by U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson, a visiting judge from Arkansas. Shelton faces at least seven years in prison and up to life. Howell is facing 30 years to life.