Three Men Indicted For Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy Resulting In Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day Murders

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return by a grand jury of a superseding indictment charging Kermon Williams, a/k/a “The General” (42, St. Petersburg), James Higgs, Jr., a/k/a “Hammer” (40, St. Petersburg), and Jhaphre Higgs, a/k/a “Pre,” (35, St. Petersburg) in relation to the murders of Roger Lee Ford Jr. (42), and Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong (39), which occurred in St. Petersburg on January 21, 2019, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day. The superseding indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit firearms and ammunition, which are alleged to be involved in certain charged offenses. Attached is a chart summarizing the charges and potential penalties relating to each defendant.

According to the superseding indictment, Williams asked Jhaphre and James Higgs, Jr. to kill Armstrong, who Williams saw as a threat to his drug business. Williams offered to pay them with drugs and money. The indictment alleges that the Higgses shot and attempted to kill Armstrong in September 2018, but Armstrong survived. Then on January 21, 2019, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Day, the Higgses shot and killed Tywan Armstrong and Roger Ford, and injured a third victim. The indictment further alleges that both James and Jhaphre Higgs were convicted felons, who unlawfully possessed the firearms and ammunition used in the murders and that Jhpahre Higgs possessed additional firearms and ammunition on other dates.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. Both agencies have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the persons responsible for the homicides. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.