Bridgeport Woman Accused Of Conspiracy In Fatal Robbery: Police

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 35-year-old Bridgeport woman was arrested this week in connection with the armed robbery of an illegal gambling club on Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport, where two men were shot and killed in March.

Shanica Merced, 35, was taken into custody Tuesday on an active felony warrant during a motor vehicle stop on the East Side; she was charged with first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, and illegal gambling, for her role in helping to run the club.

Richard Davis, 30, and Tayvon Geter, 32, both of Bridgeport, were shot and killed while committing an armed robbery at the club, and Merced is accused of conspiring with them on that crime.

Davis and Geter were killed while exchanging gunfire with one of the gamblers, according to police; the gambler was struck by gunfire but survived, and Merced was grazed by a bullet.

Merced was being held in lieu of $250,000, and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court at a later date.

In June, Marcus Farmer, 37, also of Bridgeport, was also arrested on an illegal gambling warrant for his role in running the club. Farmer was inside the club at the time of the incident. Police do not believe he was involved in the robbery, but he was a parole absconder when he turned himself in on the warrant.

Farmer was also charged with stealing a gun from one of the suspects, after the suspect was shot, and was laying on the ground. Farmer was additionally charged with criminal possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence, and has been remanded to the custody of the state Department of Corrections.

The investigation found that Merced and Farmer also had a personal relationship, separate from their roles in operating the club.

From the announcement, which was prepared by Bridgeport Police Det. Jeffrey A. Holtz:

Sean Ellam, 38, of Bridgeport, was also arrested in May as part of the investigation. Police found Ellam stole a gun from the other suspect while the suspect lay dead on the ground outside of the club in the aftermath of the shootings. Ellam was charged with Stealing a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Tampering with Evidence.

The arrests were part of a comprehensive investigation into the incident, which was conducted by Bridgeport Police Department's Homicide Unit, with assistance from the Office of the State's Attorney.

Detectives used extensive surveillance video as part of their investigation. The video showed Shanica Merced allowing Geter and Davis, who were the only ones wearing masks, into the club, and sitting alone with them for an extended period before they began the robbery.

Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Gamin, Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter Sr., and other city officials held a press conference outside of the shuttered club at 1542 Stratford Ave. following the shootings, to ensure that it would not be reopened, and to encourage citizens to report the presence of such establishments in their neighborhoods.