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Man Charged With Conspiring To Kill Drug Witness

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 20, 2008

  Kenton Johnson

TAMPA - Days after being deposed in a drug racketeering case last year, Maurice Walton was fatally shot "execution-style" while trying to get into his truck, Tampa police say.

This week, police charged Kenton Orlando Johnson with conspiracy to commit murder in Walton's slaying. He appeared in court today, where the charge was added to previous drug charges. He remains in Falkenburg Road Jail without bail.

Walton, 34, of Seffner was shot multiple times April 1, 2007, at North 45th Street and East 22nd Avenue.

He had parked his truck near the intersection about 11 p.m. He attended a party with friends, who dropped him off at his parked truck at 2:24 a.m. A man in a black hooded sweatshirt ran up from behind the house and began shooting, striking Walton repeatedly, police say.

According to a criminal arrest affidavit from Johnson's arrest this week:

Johnson and at least one other person were solicited by Earnest Morgan between March 31, 2006 and March 31, 2007 to murder Walton.

Walton and Morgan were co-defendants in a drug racketeering case. The state had listed Walton as a witness against Morgan, and Walton was the lone witness able to give direct testimony against him.

Morgan was "the alleged cocaine supplier to the racketeering organization."

Sometime after Jan. 1, 2007, Johnson and at least one other person met with Morgan and were paid $15,000 to kill Walton, according to the affidavit. Johnson and at least one other person met several times to discuss killing Walton. They also discussed getting information to avoid detection by law enforcement.

On March 23, 2007, Walton was deposed by Morgan's attorney in the racketeering case, and Walton explained "Morgan's role as the supplier of kilogram quantities of cocaine to this drug racketeering enterprise."

On April 1, 2007, Johnson drove others to 45th Street after learning Walton would be there, according to the affidavit. Johnson, also known as "Cato" and "Top Dog," dropped off another person near Walton's vehicle.

Johnson and a third person, Jamaro Ritchie, "drove several blocks away until the murder was completed."

The accused shooter, whose full name wasn't included in the affidavit, called Johnson and Ritchie minutes after the shooting, telling them to pick him up along Melbourne Street, according to the affidavit.

When Johnson, 28, was charged, he already was being held in an Orange County Jail on unrelated charges, police spokeswoman Janelle McGregor said.

Ritchie, 22, was arrested by U.S. marshals on Sunday, charged with a federal rule violation. Details on that arrest weren't immediately available.

Further details on Morgan also weren't immediately available.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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