AKRON, Ohio — A pair of Akron brothers have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in the murder of a man during a 2020 robbery attempt.
According to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office, 21-year-old Deshawn Coleman — the gunman — admitted to a single charge of murder, while 24-year-old Eric Farrey accepted a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. On Monday, Judge Kelly McLaughlin sentenced Coleman to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 18 years, while Farrey will spend anywhere between 16 and 21 1/2 years behind bars.
The case against the two siblings stretches all the way back to Oct. 15, 2020, when authorities say the pair approached Kei'Juan Harrison as he was leaving a cellphone store and ordered him to hand over cash at gunpoint. When Harrison refused, Coleman shot him in the chest, and while Harrison was able to run away to a house on Fifth Street, he eventually died from his injuries.
It would be nearly nine months before Coleman and Farrey were arrested, with U.S. Marshals capturing them at separate locations in Akron. Coleman had been under the age of 18 at the time of his crimes, but his case wound up being moved to adult court. Records show he now faces a separate charge of starting a riot inside the Summit County Jail in July of 2022.
Coleman and Farrey had each faced more serious charges of aggravated murder that were dropped upon reaching their respective plea deals. Per officials, Farrey's sentence also factored in his convictions in two unrelated assault cases.
"Deshawn Coleman and Eric Farrey ended a man's life over the money in his wallet," Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said in a statement. "They deserve their lengthy prison sentences, which will make the streets of Summit County safer. Thank you to my assistant prosecutors and the Akron Police Department for their work in holding these individuals accountable."
