A third man has been charged in a robbery that ended in the shooting death of a man in a Greenwood neighborhood last month.
Ryan Endress, 21, of Greenwood, was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, a felony.
On Sept. 12, police were called to Endress’ home on Bridle Court after a man forced his way into the home and tried to rob Endress. Endress and the man, later identified as Derrick Brown, 26, exchanged gunfire. Both Endress and his girlfriend, Kaylee Whitaker, were wounded, and Brown was killed.
Police found multiple types of drugs in the home, including marijuana, Oxycodone, Xanax, Ecstasy, LSD and Vyanse, an ADHD medication, along with more than $5,000 in cash, multiple guns and multiple smoking devices, according to the charging information.
Endress was cleared of charges in the shooting death of Brown because under state law, he had the right to defend himself and his home, Prosecutor Brad Cooper said.
Officials suspected Endress was dealing drugs, but did not have direct evidence of that, Cooper said.
Endress also worked with investigators to identify two other men who were involved with organizing the robbery, who police had not been able to find. As part of his cooperation, officials gave him some immunity and agreed to charge him with the possession charge, Cooper said.
“Him cooperating with us led us to the other guys,” Cooper said.
Last month, Samuel A. Silverman, 22, of Indianapolis, and Sean T. Goodman, 30, of Carmel, were both charged with a felony count of robbery.
Investigators said Silverman and Goodman arranged the robbery with Brown and all came to the south side Greenwood neighborhood together the night of the shooting. Silverman had gone into the home, and then when he left, Brown forced his way inside. Investigators found Silverman had been texting Brown about how to enter the home and what he would find inside, including multiple types of drugs and cash.
Brown was shot multiple times and collapsed and died in the street. Endress and Whitaker both were treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Endress was arrested this week and released from the Johnson County jail on $1,200 bond.
He could face up to three years in prison for the felony charge.
