The New Marshfield man who fought off four would-be robbers outside his trailer in February, which now sits at the center of a resulting murder investigation, pleaded not guilty to unrelated cocaine charges Friday.
Judge L. Alan Goldsberry ordered Billy J. Osborne Jr., 49, of 7467 New Marshfield Rd., held on $175,000 bond. A grand jury indicted Osborne for possessing 1.78 grams of crack cocaine and attempting to hide the drugs from officers after a traffic stop on Dec. 5.
This was right after my wife died. I've been over that since then
Osborne said. In a previous interview, Osborne vehemently denied using or selling drugs.
Two months after the traffic stop that led to his recent indictment, Osborne's trailer became the scene of a fatal shoot-out. Four people associated with a Columbus gang tried to steal money or drugs from his trailer, according to court documents and statements from prosecutors. In the resulting gunfight, someone fatally shot Donnie Putnam, 39, in the chest.
Grand juries indicted Hamda A. Jama, 21, of Columbus; Phillip D. Boler, 27, of New Marshfield; Abdifatah Abdi, 17, of Columbus; and Mohat M. Osman, 17 of Columbus, on felony murder and aggravated robbery charges for causing Putnam's death.
A grand jury also indicted John W. Perry II, 23, of New Marshfield, for fleeing Osborne's trailer after the gunfight with a 9 mm handgun. Perry later turned himself in and gave a 9 mm handgun to investigators.
Still more charges stemming from Putnam's death could be brought to future grand juries. A search of Osborne's house, the results of which remain sealed, could lead to more drug charges, said Assistant County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn. During bond arguments, Blackburn said Osborne could be charged for interfering with Perry's case.
In an April 22 interview with The Post, Osborne said he wasn't sure whether Perry fired a gun during the robbery. But minutes later, in an interview with The Athens Messenger, Osborne told a different story, Blackburn said.
Osborne will appear before Goldsberry at 2:30 p.m. on June 29 for a pre-trial hearing.
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Dave Hendricks
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Billy J. Osborne Jr., 49, sits in the Athens Court of Commons Pleas Friday before his arraignment. A grand jury indicted Osborne for three cocaine-related felonies. (Dave Hendricks |Web editor)
