Joshua Major, 21, of Pemberton Borough, was the third suspect charged with killing Michael "Mickey Rome" DiMattia.
TRENTON - Hours before Michael "Mickey Rome" DiMattia was shot to death in his Hamilton apartment, the three suspects charged with killing him convened in a Burlington County motel with a handgun and planed the crime, prosecutors said Friday.
Joshua Major, 21, of Pemberton Borough, was the last of the three suspects to be charged with murder last week in connection with the slaying of DiMattia - who was shot dead March 17 in his Estates Boulevard apartment.
Major appeared in court Friday by way of a video for a bail hearing, and Superior Court Judge Darlene Pereksta maintained it at $500,000.
At the hearing, Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor James Scott outlined Major's alleged role as the getaway driver in the murder.
Authorities believe that hours before the murder, Major and the two other suspects, Tatiana Cole, 24, of Pemberton and Marcus Muse, 24, of Willingboro, met in a Red Roof Inn, Scott said Friday.
DiMattia's murder had been planned over a period of time, Scott said.
In the motel room, Muse brandished a gun, showing Major and Cole that he was armed. From the motel, Major allegedly drove the two other suspects to DiMattia's apartment in Hamilton, Scott said.
Cole went to the apartment and "partied with" DiMattia for a while before leaving. When she left, Muse went inside the apartment with the gun and shot DiMattia twice before stealing around $18,000, Scott said.
Authorities have said DiMattia died from two gunshot wounds and police found shell casings near his body.
Prosecutors ID murder weapon in slaying
After the killing, Major drove the three suspects back to the Red Roof Inn, where they divided up the money; Major got $500 while Cole and Muse split the rest, according to prosecutors.
Cole and Major both confessed to their roles in the crime, pointing the finger at Muse, who they said carried the handgun and fired the fatal shots, according to prosecutors.
Muse denied any responsibility, saying that he was in the area at the time of the murder but that he did not have anything to do with DiMattia's death.
Mark Fury, an attorney representing Major, said the 21-year-old may have been less at fault than Muse and Cole.
"He certainly wasn't a major player," Fury said, adding that Major does not have a serious criminal history.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.