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Date: 05-18-2023
Case Style:
Case Number:
Judge: Gary A. Fenner
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (Jackson County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Kansas City
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Kansas City, Missouri criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.
Samuel M. David, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
His sister and co-defendant, Rochelle E. David, 24, was sentenced on Jan. 11, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same crimes.
Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.
Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank card to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.
Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., where he lived with his parents, while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his bedroom, where the driver opened a safe that contained approximately $2,000. Samuel David took the safe, and he and Ross left the residence.
On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. Samuel David and another person got out of the vehicle, but Rochelle David and Ross stayed in the vehicle. Rochelle David told Ross that one of the officers who stopped them was the one who recently chased her. Shortly before she got out of the vehicle, she told Ross, “Shoot the one with the red hair first.” Rochelle David then got out of the vehicle, after which Ross opened his door and fired on officers with his gun. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.
After being arrested, Rochelle David was questioned about the homicide. She admitted that Ross wanted to kill a homeless person and she was with him when they picked up a homeless man in Kansas City on Oct. 21, 2020. They drove around for a time with the victim, then Ross got out of the vehicle and she saw him shoot the victim.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 12 years and 3 months in prison.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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