Two With Ties to Military Charged in Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy

Two men have been charged in a murder-for-hire and drug conspiracy.

29-year-old Kevin Corley and 28-year-old Samuel Walker, both of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and 29-year-old Shavar Davis of Denver, Colorado were taken into custody Saturday afternoon in Laredo.

An investigation was launched in January of 2011, when 20-year-old Marcus Mickle of Saginaw, South Carolina reportedly began negotiations with people he thought were members of the Los Zetas drug cartel to purchase marijuana, and in trade, would hand over stolen weapons.

Mickle and 26-year-old Calvin Epps, also of Saginaw, S.C., told the undercover agents of a friend in the military that could provide them with stolen military weapons, which happened to be Corley.

When contacted by the undercover agents, Corley identified himself as an active duty officer in the Army responsible for training soldiers, and offered to provide tactical training to cartel members and to purchase weapons for the group under his name.

As communication continued between Corley and the agents, he continued to discuss services he could provide the cartel, and reportedly mailed an Army tactics battle book to the agents.

A meeting was arranged between Corley and the undercover agents, and Corley is believed to have agreed to do “wet work,” understood to perform a murder-for-hire. Corley agreed to do the contract killing for $50,000 and five kilograms of cocaine, for his retrieval of 20 kilograms of cocaine from the ranch of a rival cartel.

Corley also is believed to have assisted in several drug transfers and weapons deliveries, as well as allegedly stolen ballistic vests. At another meeting, Corley reportedly discussed his plans for the murder, which included cutting a Z into the victim’s chest and dismembering the body.

On March 24^th, 2012, Corley, Walker, and Davis traveled to Laredo and met with undercover agents and discussed the contract kill. The three men were arrested, and another suspect was shot and killed.

Agents searched the vehicle in which the men arrived, and found two semi-automatic rifles with scopes, one bolt-action rifle with a scope and bipod, one hatchet, one Ka-Bar knife, one bag of .223 caliber ammunition, and one box of .300 caliber ammunition.

The complaint charges conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and carries a possible punishment of a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The use of a firearm in a drug trafficking or violent crime could result to up to 10 years in prison.

Those charged in the indictment for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, including Corley, Mickle, and Epps, also face 5 to 40 years in prison if convicted.