One New Orleans Man’s ‘Accidental Death’ Revealed A National Crime Spree
A man in New Orleans faces 15 years to life in prison after a federal indictment last week on federal charges for allegedly hiring a prostitute to drug and rob men across the nation, including a Metairie LA man who died after their encounter.
The 12-count indictment against Randy Schenck alleges that he directed prostitutes to meet men on social media, spike their drinks, and rob them.
The scheme only came to light when 40-year-old Shawn Aruther died from a drug dose in 2017. A private investigator and a reporter tracked Schenck’s alleged partner to jail in Georgia. There she admitted confessing putting drugs in Aruther’s drinks at his home. She pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. (NOLA.com)
Arthur’s Father Pleased With Federal Charges
The father of Shawn Arthur said he was pleased with the charges but he thinks the district attorney’s office in Jefferson Parah should file state charges, as well. The law in Louisiana allows murder charges for ‘drug-induced homicides.’
Federal agents say Schenck, 38, met Dominque Berry in 2013, which developed into a romantic relationship and he started to work as her pimp. From 2015-2017, the went across the US, posted ads for sexual services on websites such as Backpage and social media applications.
Some of the men got way more than they bargained for, according to federal prosecutors. Schenck instructed Berry to spike the men’s drinks with strong anti-psychotic drugs that would make them unconscious. They then stole whatever the men had on them, including wallets, jewelry, credit cards, debit cards and guns.
Schenck also has been accused of slapping, striking, and beating Berry, and threatened to kill her relatives, to keep her working for him.
Scheme Crashed Down When Berry Met Arthur
The evil scheme came to an end when Berry met with Arthur in Feb. 2017. The federal indictment states that Berry and Arthur met on a social media application called Meet Me.
Berry told a reporter later in meetings that she spiked Arthur’s drink. He was found dead in his home the next day.
Arthur’s credit cards were used after his death, the coroner’s office said his death was accidental at first. Arthur’s parents also said the sheriff’s office did not listen to their concerns about their son’s death until they got Berry to confess. The police believed the evidence at his death scene showed he was a drug user, but his family insisted that was not true.
After the Huffington Post released a story about the case, the coroner’s office said the death was undetermined instead of accidental. (Huffingtonpost.com)
In December 2019, Berry pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft. She agreed to receive a seven-year sentence at a hearing set for February 2020.
An agent for the FBI filed a federal complaint against Schenck last June, but the indictment charged him with no giving up until last week. Scheck’s attorney could not be found for comment.
Schenck has been charged with six counts of interstate transportation and use of an interstate facility with the intent to carry on unlawful activity, two counts of wire fraud, one count of forced sex trafficking, two counts of transportation of a person to engage in prostitution and a count of aggravated identity theft.
Arthur’s Family Sent Police to His Apartment for a Wellness Check
When Arthur’s family sent police to his apartment on Feb. 25, 2019, the last thing they expected was to find a dead body.
The police said his body was cold to the touch, sprawled out on a mattress next to a puddle of vomit. A police officer who was called to check on him said there were no signs of violence. The death certificate said he died from hemorrhaging of the pancreas related to using grain alcohol. It was called an accident. It was anything but
The man’s wallet and TV were missing. Security video later showed three men and a woman using his bank card at a Walmart. Surveillance footage also showed them driving away in his truck. A liquor bottle was found in the apartment that had the fingerprints of Berry, who had a long criminal record.
Berry claimed later that she did not know the man was dead, and they only intended to knock out victims before robbing them.
Arthur’s Father Speaks Out
Sadly, none of these indictments deal with the fact that a man lost his life. Whether it was intended or not, his son died while a felony was being committed in his apartment. Berry confessed to putting drugs in his drink and he did not know about it. And those drugs caused his death, according to the coroner’s report, which is murder, his father claimed.