Maryland Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Triple-Murder Home Invasion Robbery
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Delante T. Cook, 35, of Prince George’s County, Md., was sentenced today to life in prison plus 20 years for his role in a home invasion robbery that resulted in the stabbing murders of three men in Springfield, Va., on Nov. 19, 2008.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
“Mr. Cook participated in an act of almost unimaginable violence – the malicious and fatal stabbing of three men in cold blood,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “This group of men invaded a quiet home, armed and dressed as police officers, with the intent to rob their victims. They showed no mercy and no regard for the lives they took, and now Mr. Cook will spend the rest of his life in prison to pay for his heinous crimes.”
“This was a violent, vicious, and carefully planned crime pulled off by men who clearly place no value on the lives of anyone but themselves,” said Chief Rohrer. “Our resolve to solve it, arrest and prosecute those responsible has never wavered. We thank our federal and local partners for their years of hard work and dedication that helped to make this day possible.”
On Sept. 6, 2011, Cooke pled guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court records, Cook, Jelani Slay, and other co-conspirators targeted the residence of Ryan and Terence Strope for a home invasion robbery because they believed the two men were marijuana traffickers and possessed a large amount of cash and marijuana in the home.
On Nov. 17 and 18, 2008, Cook and his conspirators drove to Fairfax County, Va., to conduct physical surveillance of the Strope residence and plan the robbery. The following night, Nov. 19, 2008, the conspirators dressed as law enforcement, arming themselves with weapons – including knives and firearms – and entered the Strope residence to carry out the home invasion robbery. Ryan Strope, Terence Strope, and another man, Andres Yelicie, were murdered as members of the conspiracy stabbed them during the course of the robbery. According to the indictment, the conspirators pistol whipped one of the victims during the attack.
This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Fahey and Sean Tonolli are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
