A Trenton man accused of fatally shooting city pharmacist Arjun Reddy Dyapa in 2011 must decide whether he is going to plead guilty to an unrelated gun possession charge or take his case to trial, a judge said Tuesday.
Jamar Meyers, 28, has a backlog of cases, prosecutors said. He faces murder, robbery and felony murder in the shooting death of Dyapa, who was shot inside his pharmacy store in April 2011 after he refused to turn over prescription pills during an armed heist, prosecutors said.
Meyers has been incarcerated for four years while awaiting trial on a myriad of cases. Prosecutors’ plea bargain calls for Meyers to admit guilt to weapon possession for a 5-year sentence. He has enough jail credits for a time served sentence.
If he were to reject that offer, his case would proceed to trial July 14 before Judge Robert Billmeier, prosecutors said.
Meyers’ attorney, Ron Garzio, has insisted authorities found the gun during an illegal vehicle stop. Authorities said the gun was in plain sight.
Regardless, Meyers isn’t getting out of jail any time soon.
The murder case is still pending, and he also faces charges in a robbery of a 7-Eleven in Hamilton that occurred days after the murder as well as aggravated assault for throwing a ready-made meal at a corrections officer, Grillo said.
Myers reportedly confided in friends he killed Dyapa and told one where he hid the gun, which was recovered by police. He is jailed on $1.25 million.