A botched marijuana deal that ended in murder gets N.J. man, 22, up to 55 years in prison
Anthony Gamble had pleaded guilty to third-degree murder last month in a deal that spared him from the more serious charges he originally faced.
A New Jersey man was sentenced Monday to 25 to 55 years in state prison for killing a man and hiding his body in Upper Bucks County.
Anthony Gamble, 22, pleaded guilty in October to third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery in the 2021 death of Kevin Rosero, 26, whom he stabbed after robbing him of $400 during a botched marijuana sale, according to prosecutors.
Gamble, of Somerset, agreed to the plea in a deal negotiated with prosecutors that spared him from charges of first-degree murder and other related offenses. Gamble reached the deal after his younger brother, Joshua, agreed to testify against him about the killing and detail how the two had worked together to hide the body.
Pennsylvania state troopers encountered the Gambles just after midnight on June 17, 2021 after noticing two cars parked on the side of East Pumping Station Road in Richland Township, according to prosecutors.
One of the cars had its hazard lights on, and the troopers approached, believing a driver needed help. Instead, they discovered Joshua Gamble, 19, lying in the grass, his shoe covered in blood.
Anthony Gamble was in a wooded area nearby and tried to flee, authorities said, but was taken into custody a short time later. He, too, had blood on his shoes.
A few hundred yards away, they found Rosero, who had been stabbed 28 times in his head, neck, and arms. One of the cars on the side of the road, an Audi A5, had its interior covered in blood. A large, bloody knife had been stashed on the floor of the car’s passenger side.
Prosecutors said the brothers drove both vehicles, one of which belonged to Rosero, from Somerset County, N.J., stopping at a nearby 7-Eleven to buy work gloves and disinfectant wipes. An analysis of Gamble’s phone showed he had searched for “7 eleven,” “junk yards near me,” and “can soap wash off fingerprints.”
Joshua Gamble’s phone showed that Rosero had transferred him $400 through CashApp about an hour before the state trooper discovered the scene on the side of the road.
Anthony Gamble’s attorney, Louis Busico, said after the proceeding Monday that he had presented a series of character witnesses on his client’s behalf, including his relatives, longtime neighbors, and members of Gamble’s religious community.
Busico noted that Gamble had never been charged with a crime before, and said Rosero and Gamble had known each other for some time. The killing, he said, followed a marijuana deal that “ended tragically.”
Still, he said he was satisfied with the verdict handed down by Bucks County Court Judge Benjamin Finley.
“My goal from the very beginning was to prevent this young man from spending the rest of life in prison,” Busico said. “I accomplished that goal today, because had he been convicted of first- or second-degree murder, there would be no options here.”
Joshua Gamble pleaded guilty last November to robbery, conspiracy, and related offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 27.