YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST: The accused ringleader in the murder of a Fairview card game operator had his $2 million bail reduced today — to $1 million cash.
Keyshawn Malone, whom authorities described as the “brains” behind the May 4 murder and robbery of 50-year old Jeronimo Lopez, got the reduction based on his New Jersey ties.
Still, all agreed he likely wasn’t going to raise that amount.
FILE PHOTOS: Evens Dumas, Keshawn Malone, Jose Rivas, Blonso Florestal (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
Jose Rivas
Defense attorney John Weichsel told Presiding Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi that Malone “was not the shooter.”
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Danielle Grootenboer countered that he was “one of the prime movers.”
” This was a planned, orchestrated armed robbery,” Grootenboer told the judge, “and what is particularly chilling to the state is the fact the victim got shot and this did not deter a single one of these defendants, Mr. Malone included, from carrying out the robbery.
“A man was bleeding to death on the ground, and Mr. Malone and his co-conspirators were picking the pockets of the people.”
Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Danielle Grootenboer (STORY / PHOTOS: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
Grootenboer also said that investigators were pursuing leads that Malone — who has a criminal record and is under indictment for another offense in Essex County — robbed other social card games with at least one other defendant in the killing.
“By the time the case is indicted, there will be other charges,” she said.
“Even for a non-slayer, the time is the same – 30 years to life, making him a flight risk,” Grootenboer said.
The circumstances warrant a high bail, DeAvila-Silebi said, adding that being a New Jersey resident worked in Malone’s favor. His co-defendants aren’t U.S. citizens.
“But I won’t reduce it further than that,” she said.
Co-defendant Blonson Florestal, 19, earlier had his bail reduced from $4 million to $1 million, but Grootenboer said that was only because he drove the car and didn’t participate in the robbery.
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