5 Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Aspiring Rapper: DOJ

WASHINGTON, DC — Five men have been indicted on federal murder charges in connection with the 2020 death of an up-and-coming rapper in Washington, D.C., according to prosecutors.

Johnny Wilkins, 34, of Temple Hills, is among five people named in a 20-count indictment unsealed by the Department of Justice this week. Wilkins, along with 31-year-old Marcel Gavin, 30-year-old Kharee Jackson, 31-year-old Earl Robinson, and 29-year-old Darryl Little, all of Washington, D.C., were charged on multiple counts including first-degree murder, assault and robbery.

According to federal prosecutors, Albert Smith, an aspiring rap artist from the Tennessee and Georgia area, traveled to Washington, D.C. with seven friends on June 13, 2020, to meet with a group of people including the five defendants.

After settling into their hotel, prosecutors said Smith and his friends — also known as the Georgia group — took an Uber to Congress Park where they joined the group and gambled tens of thousands of dollars through the night into the following day.

Around 7:15 a.m., prosecutors said the Georgia group decided to leave. According to court documents, the five defendants and seven other members of the Congress Park group followed the Georgia group to 13th Place where they split up and attacked and robbed three members of the group.

According to prosecutors, Wilkins chased Smith and four other members of the Georgia group down Congress Street while shooting at them. The gunfire killed Smith, authorities said.

According to court documents, another member of Smith's group was shot while two others were pistol whipped and robbed by the defendants and other members of the Congress Park group. Prosecutors said the victims were robbed of approximately $20,000 each.

The five defendants are being held without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 8.