A Tennessee man has pleaded guilty to helping a cop cover up the kidnapping and execution of a man in January 2021.
Joshua M. Rogers, 33, pled guilty to destroying evidence in the case that involved former Memphis Police Department officer Patric Ferguson. Ferguson allegedly kidnapped Robert Howard and shot him in the head, Actionnews 5 reported.
Ferguson still faces state charges of murder and federal charges of kidnapping, civil rights violations and weapons charges, the station reported.
Rogers admitted to federal prosecutors that he helped get rid of Howard's body. In the plea, Rogers admitted to transporting the boy in his vehicle with Ferguson. Howard's body was then affixed to cinder blocks with padlocks and chains before being dumped in the Wolf River.
"The defendant in this case obstructed law enforcement from investigating and seeking justice on behalf of the victim, his family and friends," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "I am proud of the great work by the Department of Justice in their prosecution of this case."
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 6. Rogers faces a maximum penalty of 70 months in prison based on the terms of the plea agreement.
