Guilty-plea details sealed in hit-man plot
One of three men allegedly hired by South Philadelphia auto mechanic Ronald Galati to kill two potential witnesses against him in an insurance fraud probe pleaded guilty Thursday, signaling that he will testify for the prosecution in the larger case against the wannabe mobster.
One of three men allegedly hired by South Philadelphia auto mechanic Ronald Galati to kill two potential witnesses against him in an insurance fraud probe pleaded guilty Thursday, signaling that he will testify for the prosecution in the larger case against the wannabe mobster.
Jerome Johnson, 45, of Kingsessing, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder, as well as racketeering and insurance-fraud charges, in a quick, low-key hearing before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey P. Minehart.
Johnson, a muscular, hulking man, was barely audible as he said "guilty" to a long list of charges.
Assistant District Attorney Dawn Holtz handed up the factual basis for the guilty plea to Minehart rather than the usual practice of reading it aloud.
Holtz quickly left court and defense attorney Robert Datner declined to comment.
"Not until this is all over," Datner said, apparently referring to the pending court cases against Galati - whom authorities have alleged is an aspiring mobster.
Minehart confirmed that the documents related to Johnson's guilty plea were sealed. The judge set Johnson's sentencing for Jan. 5, 2015, although it is unlikely he will be sentenced until after the cases involving Galati are concluded.
Johnson was one of 40 people charged with Galati in May by a Philadelphia grand jury for operating a $5 million insurance fraud scheme from Galati's shop, American Collision & Auto Center, 1930 S. 20th St. Galati's alleged crew staged phony accidents and went so far as dressing vehicles with deer blood and body parts to add a touch of realism for insurance photos.
Authorities allege that Galati, 63, has flirted with organized crime figures and culture for years. The other charges to which Johnson pleaded guilty suggest Galati may have been more than flirting.
Galati was arrested in December and charged with hiring Johnson, Alvin Matthews, and Ronald Walker to kill rival body-shop owners Joseph Rao Sr. and his son, Joseph Jr., whom Galati allegedly believed were cooperating with city prosecutors in the insurance fraud probe.
The hits weren't carried out and Johnson is the first of the three alleged hired guns to plead guilty.
All three are also charged in federal court in Camden with carrying out the Nov. 30 shooting and wounding of Andrew Tuono, a boyfriend of Galati's daughter, again, allegedly at Galati's behest.
Galati's attorney, Anthony J. Voci Jr., said he had not heard about Johnson's latest guilty pleas but was not surprised.
"It seems that now he's going to testify against my client in everything," Voci said.
Voci noted that Johnson, Matthews, and Walker are all scheduled to testify next week against Galati, whose trial in the alleged Tuono hit begins Monday in federal court in Camden.
