Teen charged in Middletown homicide has criminal past tied to gangs, drugs

A Middletown teen charged in connection with last month’s shooting death of a Middletown man has a record of past criminal activity tied to gangs and drugs.

The 17-year-old, who is charged with conspiracy to aggravated murder and participating in a criminal gang for the Dec. 14 murder of Benny Barfield while he sat in his car at Ninth Avenue and Yankee Road, is scheduled to face a judge today in Butler County Juvenile Court.

The teen and three men — Quanterius Keith, Dwight Bailey II and Daniel Fitzgerald, all 21 — are accused of conspiring to kill the 48-year-old father of 10 children. Police say Keith, who is charged with aggravated murder, pulled the trigger.

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Middletown police say the four are either a part of the Road Runner gang or conspired with gang members in the killing.

The teen has a criminal record in juvenile court dating back to 2016, according to records provided by Court Administrator Rob Clevenger.

Two days after Christmas 2016, the teen was declared a unruly juvenile when he was charged with criminal mischief and menace. He was placed on probation and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service.

In May 2017, the teen was charged with possession of heroin, tampering with evidence, failure to comply and obstruction of official business. He was housed in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center from May 23 to July 13, 2017. The juvenile judge gave him a suspended sentence to the Ohio Department of Youth Services, and he was placed on house arrest after released from the detention center and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service.

The teen was charged with participating in a criminal gang two months after leaving the detention center in September 2017. He was incarcerated in the county juvenile detention center for a month before being committed to the Butler County Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, where he stayed for four months before being placed on intensive probation.

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In April 2018, the teen was charged with possession of drugs twice, participating in a criminal gang, possession of drug paraphernalia and a probation violation. He was committed to the COMPASS program for felony offenders (which utilizes cognitive behavioral intervention) then was placed on intensive probation when released. The teen spent more then two months incarcerated while in the COMPASS pro0gram.

The teen was charged with possession of heroin, possession of cocaine and a probation violation in August 2018. He was given a suspended six month sentence in the Ohio Department of Youth Services, served 30 days in the county juvenile detention center and was placed on intensive probation.

On Dec. 20, the teen’s probation was violated and a warrant was issued for his arrest in the Barefield homicide.

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