Uniontown woman pleads guilty to robbery charges in deadly drug robbery
A Uniontown woman pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and robbery as part of a case where an alleged drug robbery ended in a shooting death.
Megan Marie Bowlen, 25, entered the pleas Thursday in Fayette County Court.
Both Bowlen and Miranda Jean Engle, 31, of Uniontown waived their remaining charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery to court in February, after homicide charges were withdrawn at their preliminary hearings.
Bowlen and Engle were charged along with three others in the Nov. 27 shooting death of Marquell L. Bailey, 25, at a vacant Pershing Court apartment. Also charged are Joel Grooms, 30, Derek Lee Royster, 29, and Devin Michael Fitzgerald, all of Uniontown.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Bailey, Fitzgerald, Bowlen, Engle and Grooms conspired to rob Royster at 61 Pershing Court. Engle allegedly called Royster to set up a drug deal about an hour before the shooting. The four people waited for Royster to arrive at the apartment, with the women in the living room and the men in the dining room. When Royster arrived, a fight broke out over the cocaine.
During her plea hearing, Bowlen, represented by attorney Jack Connor, said her role was to pretend to look for money to pay Royster to distract him before the robbery.
Police allege Bailey walked into the living room and tried to punch Royster, prompting Royster to pull out a gun and shoot Bailey in the chest. Bowlen hid behind a couch, dodging two shots from Royster’s gun, according to police, while Grooms and Engle ran out the back door. Royster fled in a truck, and Bowlen ran out the back door, calling 911. She returned to perform CPR on Bailey, who was bleeding and gasping for air, according to court paperwork.
Bowlen went to her nearby apartment with Engle and washed blood from her hands, police said. Bailey was taken to Uniontown Hospital by ambulance, where he died.
In exchange for her guilty plea, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Benninger said the commonwealth offered a sentence of 10 years’ probation.
Bowlen, who is free on $25,000 unsecured bond, is scheduled for a sentencing before Judge Nancy Vernon on Aug. 21 at 1:30 p.m.
Royster, Engle and Grooms are currently awaiting trial and Fitzgerald was sentenced to serve 12 months of intermediate punishment.