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Police in Las Vegas now believe a man who was arrested in 2023 on murder charges may actually be a prolific hitman connected to three other murders.
Las Vegas Metro Police have filed three new murder charges against Michael Coleman, 40, who was arrested in May 2023 for the alleged murder of Kidada Stewart, 48. Coleman is facing several charges in that case, including first-degree murder, according to 8 News Now.
While investigating Stewart's death, police learned of a man named Carl Chester who was part of a group that had allegedly defrauded the government of PPP loans during the pandemic, according to Metro Police Lieutenant Jason Johannson.
Chester was supposed to get a cut of the PPP loans, but reportedly did not and threatened his associates with violence for allegedly cutting him out, according to police.
He hired Coleman to kill his former associates or their family members, police said.
Police believe Benjamin McCarty, 49, may have been one of the victims of the alleged contract killing scheme. He was shot while he was working on his car in 2021. Police said Coleman allegedly approached McCarty, shot and killed him.
In November, Coleman allegedly killed Marcu Larry, 39, by shooting him multiple times inside the Teriyaki Madness restaurant near Town Center Drive. Larry's cousin was initially arrested as a suspect but was later released by police.
A year later, Coleman allegedly shot and killed William Hill Jr, 54, outside his home while he was working on a car. Police said the same car that dropped off Coleman at the site of Stewart's killing was present at the time of Hill's murder.
Investigators believe that Hill was killed in place of his son, who is currently in prison for PPP loan fraud. They believe that because Coleman could not get to the younger Hill, he instead allegedly killed the father.
Chester, who allegedly organized the hits, did not escape the violence; he was murdered by members of Hill's family earlier this year. Police said they believe his death was retaliation for Hill's murder.
In February 2023, Coleman allegedly killed Stewart in a Las Vegas neighborhood. Approximately 12 hours after the shooting, police managed to track down Coleman and took him into custody after a short standoff.
Coleman has been in police custody on a $250,000 bail since his arrest last year. His trial was initially scheduled to begin in October. It is unclear if the new charges will affect his trial date.
