Drug Buy Turned Melee Ends With Murder Conviction

A small-time drug dealer living with friends in a luxury house was attacked by intruders who were determined to steal drugs and cash from the home, prosecutors said in a Montgomery County court this week.

And one of those intruders -- Tavon Antonio Miles, 27, of Gaithersburg – was ultimately responsible for the murder of Marc Taylor St. Aubin, 23, of the 15800 block of Laughlin Lane, jurors agreed.

Miles was convicted Tuesday of first-degree felony murder, armed robbery, and first-degree burglary in St. Aubin’s March 2014 death.

St. Aubin suffered from blunt force injuries and a stab wound, according to an autopsy. Montgomery County Police said he was found dead in a driveway in the Norbeck area of Silver Spring.

Witnesses inside the house that evening told police that numerous armed suspects entered the residence. A struggle ensued, gunshots were heard, and St. Aubin was injured. Some of the witnesses brought the victim to a car in the driveway so he could be driven to the hospital.

Other witnesses began to remove guns, a safe, and marijuana from the house. Officers recovered bullets from inside the home.

Shortly after arriving at the chaotic scene, police were told that a man – later identified as Miles -- was dropped off at a nearby hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. A bullet taken from Miles’ clothing was the same caliber and fired from the same gun that shot St. Aubin.

The victim had a gun of that caliber registered through Maryland.

The Washington Post reports that prosecutors argued Miles was among a half-dozen intruders who barged into the house to steal marijuana and cash. St. Aubin fired at the group in self-defense, prosecutors said.

Miles was shot in the stomach, buttocks, leg and foot, the newspaper reports, which enraged his comrades to stab St. Aubin in the lung and crush his head, possibly with a pipe or baseball bat.

During his testimony, Miles told jurors he went to the house to buy $1,200 worth of marijuana, but didn’t kill St. Aubin.

Prosecutors said Miles has not given police the names of the people who went to the home with him.

“We are pleased with this verdict,” Ramon Korionoff, a spokersperson for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, told Montgomery Community Media. “Mr. Miles is a dangerous man, now he is off the streets.”

Sentencing is set for Jan. 16, 2016.

»Photo of Tavon Miles, courtesy of Montgomery County Police