Soldier for Kaboni Savage gets 40 years for fatal 2004 firebombing

A soldier for convicted drug dealer Kaboni Savage who helped to orchestrate the 2004 firebombing that killed six members of a witness’s family, including four children, was sentenced to 40 years in prison today, federal prosecutors announced.

Lamont Lewis, 38, pleaded guilty to helping to orchestrate the retaliatory firebombing attack, which Savage ordered from a jail cell while awaiting trial on federal drug trafficking charges.

According to his guilty plea, Savage told Lewis that he was needed to “carry out a favor to him,” according to a statement from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Lewis orchestrated the attack along with Savage’s sister, Kidada Savage, who showed him where the house was located on the evening of Oct. 8, and Robert Merritt, another member of the criminal organization who participated in the actual firebombing.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 9, Lewis and Merritt filled up two gas cans while driving to the home of family members of Eugene Coleman, who was cooperating with authorities and testifying against Savage.

After Lewis entered the home, located on the 3200 block of North 6th Street, and fired warning shots, according to prosecutors, Merritt threw the two gas cans, one with a lit cloth fuse, into the home.

The resulting fire killed six people in the home:

Marcella Coleman, 54, Eugene’s mother

Tameka Nash, 34, her niece

Nash’s daughter Khadijah, 10

Coleman’s 15-month-old son, Damir Jenkins

Marcella Coleman’s grandson, Tajih Porchea, 12

Family friend, Sean Rodriguez, 15.

Savage was previously sentenced to death for 12 counts of murder including the firembombing victims and other murders.

Savage and Merritt were both previously sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the firebombing.