Drug kingpin now faces murder charges

Convicted Philadelphia drug kingpin Kaboni Savage was charged today with ordering one of the most vicious acts of witness retaliation in the history of the city, an October 2004 rowhouse firebombing in which six people, including four children, were killed.

The firebombing was one of dozens of criminal acts listed in a 26-count racketeering indictment unsealed this afternoon charging Savage and three top associates with murder, drug trafficking and witness retaliation.

U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid, in announcing the indictment, said that Savage headed "perhaps the most violent drug gang ever seen in the city of Philadelphia."

Savage, a former boxer who is serving a 30-year sentence for drug trafficking, faces the death penalty in the new case, which includes an allegation that he ordered two of his co-defendants, Lamont Lewis and Robert Merritt, to firebomb the home of Marcella Coleman on Oct. 9, 2004.

At the time, Colesman's son, Eugene, an admitted drug dealer and former Savage associate, was cooperating with authorities and was preparing to testify against Savage in a federal drug case.

Marcella Coleman, another woman and four children were trapped in the home and died in the fire. The victims included Eugene Coleman's 15-month-old son Damir Jenkins.

In all, the indictment lists 12 murders and various other acts of violence. Savage, Lewis, Merritt and a fourth defendant, Steven Northington, all face possible death sentences if convicted.

All four are in federal custody either serving time or awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.