In Roanoke, Virginia, a 30-year-old man recently received news that he will be considered a senior citizen upon his release from federal prison. This follows his guilty plea to charges related to the shooting and subsequent burning of his marijuana supplier’s body in Pennsylvania, all in an attempt to avoid being caught by the authorities.
Joseph Richard Walker, a 30-year-old resident of Roanoke, Virginia, stood before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on Thursday, January 16, 2025. In a significant turn of events, he admitted his guilt to one charge of Hobbs Act Robbery and another charge of Possessing, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
When Sentenced Walker Faces Up To 35 Years In Prison
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Walker could potentially face a maximum of 35 years in federal prison when he is sentenced. Another individual, Garrett Isaac Williams, who is Walker’s co-defendant, has also been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on similar charges and is currently awaiting trial.
“The Department of Justice has no greater mission than to hold accountable those individuals who commit violence in our communities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee said on Thursday. “Our strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are critical in bringing about successful prosecutions of our most violent criminals. The Department will continue to fight against gun violence through important prosecutions like this one and in conjunction with programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.”
According To Charging Information
According to the charging documents filed with the District Court, Walker and Williams conspired to distribute marijuana starting in January 2023. They obtained their supply of marijuana from E.B., an individual residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. E.B. frequently traveled from Pennsylvania to Roanoke, Virginia, to meet with Walker and Williams and carry out marijuana transactions. The majority of these transactions occurred at Walker’s residence in Roanoke.
After Walker and Williams failed to pay E.B. for a transaction, E.B. decided to take action and called Walker’s mother. This phone call became the catalyst for Walker and Williams to devise a plan to sever their ties with E.B. However, instead of settling the debt, Walker and Williams chose to order additional marijuana. Their intention was to rob E.B. when he arrived to make the delivery, hoping to intimidate him from ever returning to Virginia.
On April 17, 2023, E.B. made a trip from Pennsylvania to Walker’s Roanoke residence, carrying approximately 10 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax. Walker had already hidden a .45-caliber handgun on himself before E.B.’s arrival, intending to use it during the robbery.
When E.B. arrived, Walker questioned him about the phone conversation he had made to his mother before pulling out the revolver, shooting two times, and killing him. To conceal the murder, Walker removed E.B.’s body from his home, placed it in the trunk of his car, and drove to Bedford County, Virginia, where he set fire to it. Before leaving his house, Walker took the marijuana that E.B. had brought.