Y JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      The attempted murder conviction of a 34-year-old Youngstown man, who shot another Youngstown man near South Ave. and Mathews Rd. on Mar. 20, 2014 has been upheld by the Seventh District Court of Appeals.
      The Seventh District opinion and judgement entry, that was authored by Judge Cheryl Waite, with Judges Gene Donofrio and Carol Ann Robb concurring, says the shooting was related to a “million dollar drug distribution organization led by Vincent Moorer and DeWaylyn ‘Waylo’ Colvin” and identified Melvin E. Johnson Jr., 34, as a triggerman’ within the drug ring.
      “A triggerman is responsible for the deaths of anyone who did not pay money owed to the organization, or harmed or offended someone in the organization,” Waite’s opinion says.
      According to Boardman Police Department records, John Willie Myles, 27, residing at 895 Cook Ave., was shot tree times while walking along South Ave., near the What-A-Wash car wash, about 10:15 p.m.
      Myles told police as he walked in front of the car wash, he asked an unidentified man for a cigarette, and the man then reached into his pocket and pulled out a pistol and began shooting at him.
      However, the Seventh District Court’s opinion says that Myles was targeted for the shooting by the drug distribution organization.
      “Myles was targeted because Moorer believed that he had set up another member of the drug ring, Dashonti ‘Sweat’ Baker, to be robbed. Moorer obtained a phone belonging to Baker and used it to text Myles to set up a fake drug deal and lure him to the South Ave...location,” Judge Waite’s opinion says, noting that Johnson was driven to the area of the shooting in a vehicle that contained Johnson and a driver, identified as only ‘M.P.’
      “Johnson told M.P. and Moorer that Myles had asked him for a cigarette, which gave him the opportunity to pull out his gun and shoot him,” Judge Waite said, adding that text message records submitted to the court also confirmed that claim.
      In upholding the conviction and 140-month jail sentence on the attempted murder charge, Judge Waite declared Johnson’s appeal was without merit.
      “The state (prosecution) presented evidence to demonstrate [Johnson’s] actions were purposeful and were designed to cause the death of John Myles,” Judge Waite said, noting the efforts of Boardman Police Officer Glenn Patton provided evidence that Baker’s phone was used to set-up the shooting on South Ave.
      The Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force said the indictment of Johnson and five others in May, 2015 broke-up a suspected drug ring in the area they claimed was responsible for a lot of violence in the city of Youngstown, including four murders, a number of other shootings, as well as arson, drug trafficking and state racketeering charges.
      In Mar, 2014, that violence spilled over into Boardman Township.
      After he was shot, Myles came to the attention of Boardman police one more time, ad that was on Mar. 13, 2016 when a car he was driving was stopped at 10:10 a.m. by Ptl. Stephen Dubos for a red light violation.
      At that time, Officer Dubos said when he asked Myles for his identification, Myles responded, “Man, I really need to use the restroom.” Myles told the officer he didn’t have any identification on him, he didn’t know his social security number and his name was ‘Charles W. Aikens.’
      Myles was ordered back into his car where police detected the odor of marihuana.
      “Myles said he was smoking a ‘roach’ last night,” when asked about the odor. Officer Dubos said, adding the man was identified by mail that was found in the car (registered to Burt Pritchard) he was driving.
      “Myles then admitted to lying and apologized. He said he didn’t want to get his friend’s vehicle impounded,” Officer Dubos said, adding that Myles had a suspended driver’s license.