A ‘habitual violent offender’ who owes courts $11,321: Fort Lauderdale bus murder suspect
The 34-year-old Oakland Park man accused of getting on a Broward County Transit bus on March 17, emptying a 21-shot clip and killing two people has spent the last 17-plus years either behind bars or with at least one criminal case pending against him.
In fact, Jamal Meyers just finished his third prison stint in January and was two months into a three-year probation.
Meyers appeared Wednesday in Broward County circuit court, where he’s charged with two counts of premeditated murder, the deaths of Lauderdale Lakes’ Gregory Campbell, 32, and Tamarac’s Danny Colon, 41; two counts of attempted felony murder; and one count of possession of weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon and four counts of probation violation. Meyers is being held with no bond.
The Broward public defender’s office has moved to be taken off the case as it currently represents one of the prosecution witnesses.
Though labeled a “habitual violent offender” in 2014, Meyers’ adult life between incarcerations has been one mainly of repeatedly stealing cars and dealing drugs. Meyers’ adult criminal life premiered with an armed carjacking and armed robbery conviction, but nobody got shot.
And there’s a 2017 arrest on domestic violence-strangling, false imprisonment and tampering with a victim charge. The arrest report said Meyers’ violence included pinning the woman’s arms down with his knees and declaring, “I am going to kill you tonight...you’re going to have to call your daughter and say goodbye.”
The report said Meyers barricaded himself in his girlfriend’s house after she left for work and made threats about self-harm before his arrest.
But, legally, the domestic violence may or may not have happened — Meyers pleaded not guilty to all charges and the charges, eventually, were dropped.
The closeout memo from the Broward State Attorney’s Office said the victim insisted she was done with Meyers, but didn’t want to testify. She would be fine with a plea deal that gave him probation. Meyers rejected a plea deal and a trial was set. The alleged victim said she absolutely wouldn’t testify, so charges were dropped.
The criminal life of Jamal Meyers
Here’s Meyers adult life in the criminal justice system, which began just after he turned 17. His total court costs and fines still owed, online records say, add up to $11,321.97.
(An online search of the Broward County court system for Meyers looks even more extensive because what comes back also includes cases filed against Jamal Mayers, a 44-year-old Lauderdale Lakes man also overly familiar with the criminal justice system).
▪ Nov. 5, 2004: In a case transferred from juvenile court to Miami-Dade criminal court, Meyers was charged with armed carjacking, armed robbery, fleeing and eluding police at high speed and resisting an officer without violence. In April 2007, Meyers eventually would receive one year of probation, probation he would violate and would be revoked. He still owes $498 in court costs.
▪ Jan. 2, 2008: Meyers was arrested by Davie police for a misdemeanor marijuana possession that occurred Nov. 20, 2007. On Oct. 15, 2009, he would be sentenced to 60 days in Broward County Jail and given time served. But, he still owes $549.29 in court costs and fines.
▪ March 31, 2009: Meyers was arrested by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and misdemeanor marijuana possession. He bonded out on April 3, 2009. He would be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2009, to two years, eight months and seven days in prison with 249 days credit for time served in county jail. Meyers went to prison, according to his Florida Department of Corrections entry, from Dec. 22, 2009, to Nov. 6, 2011. He still owes $1,729 in fines and costs.
▪ April 11, 2009: Just eight days after bonding out from the above arrest, Meyers was arrested by Davie police and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, grand theft auto and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. His sentence of two years, seven months with credit for 245 days time served was handed down the same day as the March 31, 2009, convictions and ran concurrent with them. He still owes $1,200 in fines and costs.
▪ Feb. 11, 2012: Hollywood police arrested Meyers on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. The sentences for this and his Feb. 25, 2012, arrest by BSO for resisting or obstructing an officer without violence would be concurrent 280-day sentences in county jail, handed down Jan. 29, 2013. He owes a total of $845.88 in fines and court costs from these cases.
▪ April 5, 2012: BSO arrested Meyers on grand theft auto, resisting arrest without violence, misdemeanor marijuana possession and driving on a suspended license charges. The grand theft and possession charges would be dropped. On Aug. 6, 2013, Meyers’ driver’s license was suspended for two years and he was sentenced to 364 days in county jail, all of which were covered by his time served. But, he still owes $556 in fines and court costs.
▪ Nov. 19, 2012: Meyers was charged in Miami-Dade with grand theft auto and misdemeanor assault. On May 9, 2014, he was sentenced to 265 days in county jail, but credited with time served; 366 days in prison; and three years of probation as a “habitual violent offender.”
A violation of probation affidavit was filed not even a month later, June 6, 2014. He was eventually sentenced on March 6, 2015, to prison as a “habitual violent offender.” His Florida Department of Corrections entry says he went in on March 11, 2015, and came out Nov. 2, 2016. He still owes $1,205 in fines and costs.
▪ On June 24, 2021, Meyers would be sentenced for these next four cases to concurrent prison sentences followed by the three-year probation he’s charged with violating.
▪ Feb. 13, 2017: Just over three months out of prison, Meyers led BSO officers on a 95 mph chase on Interstate 95 while driving a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe. After his crash, run and eventual arrest, he pleaded no contest to aggravated fleeing and eluding, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, grand theft auto and resisting an officer without violence.
For this case, Meyers owed $8,000 restitution and still owes $1,477 in costs and fees.
▪ Feb. 25, 2019: Meyers was in BSO handcuffs again. He would be convicted on three counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance. He still owes $951 in costs and fines.
▪ March 5, 2019: BSO arrested Meyers for burglary unoccupied conveyance, possession of a stolen credit card and criminal use of personal ID committed on Feb. 19 and 20, 2019. He still owes $951 in costs and fees.
▪ April 17, 2019: Meyers was busy on Feb. 25, 2019. This arrest by BSO was a different set of crimes on that day and resulted in convictions on possession of eutylone, misdemeanor marijuana possession and operating without a valid driver’s license. He still owes $1,359.80 in costs and fines from this case.
Meyers went into prison Aug. 9, 2021, and, with credit for time served, was released Jan. 8, 2022, to begin a three-year probation. The bus shootings took place on March 17.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 9:22 AM.
