A man accused of trying to hire someone to kill a man he tried to kill twice before has once again pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
49-year-old Gregory Rouzer pleaded guilty on Friday to the conspiracy charge. Rouzer, originally from Fulton County, shot a man named Randy Walters and Walters’ girlfriend in 2008. In that incident, Walters wounded Rouzer and he was captured after a few days. He was found guilty of attempted homicide and related offenses and was sentenced to 14 to 50 years in prison. In 2009, while awaiting trial for the shooting, he tried to hire a hit man to kill Walters and his girlfriend, but was caught in the attempt and another five to ten years was added to his sentence.
In January of this year, Rouzer originally pleaded guilty to once again trying to hire a hit man to kill Walters, using 54-year-old Laraine Patterson as a go-between. Patterson, who was Rouzer’s girlfriend, gave undercover state trooper Rebecca Fabich, who was using the name “Joanie Pepperoni” $5,000 to hire a hit man, but was taken into custody. She was acquitted last month on charges of solicitation to commit homicide and conspiracy to the same offense after her attorney said that Rouzer duped her into thinking she was paying a private investigator instead of a hit man.
In May, Rouzer withdrew the guilty plea to conspiracy to aggravated assault, and was going to have jury selection on Monday, but on Friday, Rouzer pleaded guilty once again. No word yet on when he will be sentenced.
