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Judge: Jailhouse calls in 'Grundy Crew' case seem 'irrelevant'

Posted at 3:48 PM, Aug 02, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-02 16:30:31-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the remaining two defendants in the “Grundy Crew” case appeared before a Marion County judge Wednesday, but it was the prosecution who heard the most from the bench.

Victor Wells and David Carroll are the remaining two alleged members of the Grundy Crew with charges from the October 2015 case still pending against them. Nine other co-defendants, including alleged ringleader Richard Grundy III himself, have reached plea deals with prosecutors.

FULL STORY | Alleged ‘Grundy Crew’ ringleader takes plea deal, almost all charges dropped

Carroll is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Friday. Wells was in court Wednesday for his hearing.

But Judge Marc Stoner had little to say to Wells, instead telling prosecutors that he had listened to jailhouse phone calls they intended to enter into evidence and had found them “irrelevant.”

“In listening to the tapes I was struggling to find anything of relevance to a criminal case, and I think if presented to a jury they would be similarly confused,” Stoner said.

The tapes in question involve multiple calls from the Marion County Jail involving Wells and other associates, including John Means, the group’s alleged hitman.

ALSO READ | The ‘Grundy Crew’ has a long history in Indianapolis. It may have caught up with them.

According to Stoner, though, the calls were mostly about “rap groups and marital affairs” and didn’t appear to have anything to do with the case before him. He did say at least one call between Means and Grundy associate Mack Taylor, now deceased, appeared to contain “drug code” and could potentially be admissible.

Wells and Carroll are currently scheduled to begin jury trials on Aug. 14. Wells’ attorney, Jack Crawford, said plea deal discussions with the prosecutor’s office are ongoing.

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