Charges diverge for two men accused of tampering with evidence in shooting case

HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) — The cases for two men charged with tampering with evidence in connection to the shooting deaths of two other men are headed in different directions after their court appearances earlier this week.

In the early hours of Sunday, July 21, officers with the Hopewell County Police Department were called to the 300 block of North Radford Drive for a reported shooting. Upon their arrival, they found two men — 23-year-old Damonye Lamont Taylor and 30-year-old Dequante Travell Roney — with apparent gunshot wounds. Both men died from their injuries .

On July 30, police arrested and charged 30-year-old Razzaq Ford Martin, of Chesterfield, with felony tampering with evidence. A little more than a week later, 26-year-old Ronnie Harold Monroe Jr., of Hopewell, was also charged with tampering with evidence — as well as felony assault of a law enforcement officer.

According to online records, both men appeared in Hopewell General District Court on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Martin’s tampering with evidence charge was amended to misdemeanor obstructing justice. He was found guilty and received a 12-month sentence, according to online court records.

Neither of Monroe’s charges were amended and both were certified to the grand jury, according to online court records.

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