Sentence Handed Down In Murder-For-Hire Case Involving Howard County Man

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — An Ellicott City man has been sentenced for his role in a murder-for-hire conspiracy.

According to his plea agreement, 28-year-old Jourdain Larose, also known as “JBlacc,” accused Juan Ross, 23, of Columbia, of cooperating with law enforcement, including during a live social media conversation on Sept. 9, 2020, and in text messages.

As detailed in his plea agreement, Larose provided a gun to a conspirator on Sept. 12, 2020, to use to kill Ross. On Oct. 3, 2020, when the conspirator had not committed the murder yet, Larose asked co-defendant Tyrik Braxton, 27, of Baltimore to commit the murder instead. On that same date, Braxton texted a cell phone number linked to co-defendant Daquante Thomas, 21, of Baltimore with the address where Ross could be found.

According to court documents, on Oct. 4, 2020, after texting each other about the address where they could find Ross, Braxton, Thomas and another co-conspirator drove to the area of Basket Ring Road in Columbia to track down Ross, then drove to a drug store nearby where Braxton got out of the car and left the area. A short time later, Thomas and the co-conspirator returned to Basket Ring Court, shot and killed Ross and drove away together.

Although they denied knowing each other when questioned after their arrest, investigators linked Larose and Braxton through cell phone records and witness interviews. According to the plea agreement, after Ross’s murder, Braxton texted Larose that he had something important to discuss, and Larose told Braxton to Facetime him. As detailed in the plea agreement, on Oct. 7, 2020, Braxton texted Larose, “It’s going to be hot as sh** out here” to which Larose responded, “It already is bro.”

Larose has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the use and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death. Braxton previously pleaded guilty to discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death and is expected to be sentenced to between 20 and 25 years in federal prison. No date has been set for his sentencing.

On Jan. 11, 2023, Thomas was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the same charge. Thomas admitted that he was one of the shooters.