Malik Jefferson, 25, of Silver Spring was sentenced to 55 years in prison Wednesday after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.
Jefferson was found guilty in the death of Jose Osvaldo Genao Romero, 22, and sentenced to 50 years. He was additionally sentenced to five years for violating probation on a first-degree child abuse charge.
Jefferson also was convicted for use of a firearm in commission of a crime of violence and robbery.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, the charges stem from a Feb. 17, 2022 incident at the intersection of Bradley Avenue and Fletcher Pike in Rockville. That is where police officers from Montgomery County and Rockville City found Romero suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at a hospital.
Jose Osvaldo Genao Romero
His codefendant, Jackson Garcia, 20, of Silver Spring, was sentenced on March 21 to 60 years in prison and five years of supervised probation upon release. Garcia also was convicted by a jury.
“We thank Judge [Harry] Storm for imposing lengthy sentences that will protect the community from defendants who would so needlessly take a life,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
Following Jefferson’s conviction, McCarthy had said, “This is yet another case of a marijuana deal gone bad in Montgomery County resulting in murder. The purchasing of marijuana within the black-market, which continues to exist despite legal changes that have taken place in the state of Maryland remains extremely dangerous.”
