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Roberts’ attorneys on Tuesday entered not guilty pleas for him. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rose set a March 12 scheduling conference.
“This is definitely not a day we’ve been looking forward to. It’s definitely a lot of dread on our part. None of us really want to see him,” said Katie Swift, Bobby’s sister. “We don’t want to see the face of the man who pulled the trigger. But we aren’t here for Sterling. We’re here for Bobby.”
Roberts recently was sentenced to 10 years in South Carolina for an unrelated federal gun crime. He was moved to a federal prison in Oklahoma before being transferred Jan. 25 to Butler County Jail.
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Roberts faces counts of stalking, felon in possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Benjamin Glassman said the counts against Sterling Roberts and Tawnney (Thomas) Caldwell (Bobby’s ex-wife), are death-penalty eligible.
The lengthy process that determines if prosecutors actually seek the death penalty is up to the Attorney General of the United States, Glassman said.
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Four others — Sterling’s brothers Christopher Roberts and Chance Deakin plus Tawnney’s mother and stepfather, Chandra and James Harmon — are charged in what prosecutors have called a murder-for-hire plot.
“These are very serious charges, there’s no doubt about that,” Glassman said. “I commend the FBI and the local law enforcement agencies that have worked with the FBI to bring these defendants to trial.
“I think that rather than just get one person who pulled the trigger, every person who was in any way involved in the chain of events leading up to the murder have been charged.”
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According to the six-count indictment, from Aug. 1 to Aug. 5, 2017, Sterling Roberts cyber-stalked Robert Caldwell via cell phone through the assistance of Tawnney Caldwell.
Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 15, 2017, Sterling Roberts used a firearm he illegally possessed and traveled across state lines to stalk and murder Robert Caldwell. Tawnney Caldwell, Deakin, Christopher Roberts and James Harmon are all charged with aiding and abetting the illegal gun possession.
Prosecutors allege Tawnney Caldwell obstructed justice by destroying the contents and data of a cell phone. Tawnney Caldwell and Chandra Harmon also allegedly conspired to intimidate and threaten witnesses related to the case in November 2017.
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Three adults in the home where missing teen Jacob Caldwell was found in August have been charged with interference with custody, according to Miamisburg Municipal Court records.
Donald Bell, 48, Jo Anne Henderson, 52, and Zacheriah Henderson, 23, all each charged with one first-degree misdemeanor.
WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT: Caldwell’s wife sues federal defendants, sheriff for husband’s death
MORE ON JACOB CALDWELL: Missing teen found a year after witnessing his father’s death had run away before, records show
EARLIER: Ex-wife, 5 others indicted in 2017 killing of Ohio man
MORE: Read other stories from Mark Gokavi
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