CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — One of the two men accused of shooting at one another in Harrison County last summer has been convicted after entering into a plea deal.
Willie Dukes Jr., 49, of Clarksburg, entered guilty pleas to two felony counts of wanton endangerment involving a firearm, while a third count of the same charge was dropped as part of the deal.
The charges stem from an August 12, 2014 incident in which an argument between Dukes and his nephew Donald Richardson Jordan, 26, of Grove City, Ohio, ultimately escalated to the point where the two men fired upon on another in the streets near Dukes’ home in Clarksburg.
The foundation of the disagreement goes back to the July 4 weekend of that year when Dukes played host to a party for his mother, bringing the family together. Dukes alleges that Jordan determined he would move to the area to begin selling drugs after conversing with the neighbors.
Jordan did relocate to Clarksburg but was kicked out of Dukes home after several alleged offenses that included stealing from the family and selling drugs. Jordan then reportedly lived with the neighbors for a short time leading up to August 12.
As Dukes told the story to Harrison County Judge Thomas Bedell on Monday, he and his daughter went over to the neighbor’s house for an unrelated reason. However, he and Jordan began arguing to the point where Jordan allegedly reached for a gun. When Dukes reached for a gun his daughter was carrying, it resulted in the accident firing of the weapon.
Jordan was kicked out of the neighbor’s home and the two men confronted one another again later. The argument ended this time when Dukes reportedly fired his weapon in the air.
Later, he and his daughter went looking for Jordan who was sitting in a vehicle parked in the street. As the two approached, Jordan opened fire on the two, striking them multiple times. Dukes returned fire but did not directly hit Jordan, who fled from the scene.
Emergency officials transported Dukes and his daughter to the hospital and both recovered from their injuries. He was arrested after being released from the hospital.
Dukes admitted that had been drinking through “a case or two” that day, but told Judge Bedell he knew that carrying and discharging a weapon was wrong.
Jordan was apprehended later, where authorities found $4000 separated into $1000 stacks and various drugs –including cocaine and Alprazolam– on him.
The two were indicted by a grand jury in January.
They were to be tried together originally, but Dukes entered into the plea agreement and Jordan’s new court appointed attorney requested that the trial be delayed until November so it could include a separate charge related to federal counterfeiting.
Dukes’s sentencing is tentatively scheduled for August 31 at 11 a.m., where he could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.
Jordan’s trial was delayed until October. Dukes has agreed to cooperate with the state in that case.
“I’ve got eight holes in me…they can do what they want with me,” he said.