The Justice Department has been given until June to produce a recorded confession by one of four men accused in the 2021 armed robbery of Glitters Jewelry store in Havensight. The directive came at the end of a hearing held Tuesday in Superior Court before Judge Carol Thomas-Jacobs.
Defendants Micaiah Cozier, Akenda Weeks, Jahmar Lewis and Junior Marcelo Garcia face charges of — among others — murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, grand larceny and reckless endangerment. Investigators say Cozier, Garcia and Lewis entered the store on Dec. 4, 2021. Once inside, they threatened store employees and customers, took merchandise, and shot a customer and a security guard.
Garcia, the fourth defendant, was believed to have been an unarmed participant who was seen on security footage carrying a bag.
The wounded customer, Gregoriana Julien, died of her injuries Jan. 2, 2022, at the Roy Schneider Hospital.
At the hearing on Tuesday, the judge was asked to consider two motions: one to suppress evidence and the other to allow one defendant to face trial apart from his three co-defendants. Garcia was present in the courtroom along with his attorney; Cozier, Weeks and Lewis appeared by way of live stream video.
Assistant Attorney General Timothy Perry asked the court to exclude members of the public sitting in the courtroom as the discussions began. “The people feel that due to safety issues this matter has to be discussed outside the presence of the public,” Perry said.
The rest of the hearing continued and ended behind closed doors. When the defense attorneys met a reporter outside the courtroom, they said the court ordered that a taped confession given by Garcia and submitted to Justice be redacted. In order for the confession to be counted as evidence at trial, it could not include any references to Cozier, Lewis or Weeks.
They also indicated that Thomas-Jacobs had not yet ruled on the motions raised at Tuesday’s hearing. A criminal trial is expected to begin in August.
