Two of three former University of Charleston basketball players accused of a downtown robbery and beating last month are free on bond, but the third is facing a new charge for a separate robbery.
A magistrate Thursday found cause to send the cases against Robbie Dreher and Quincy Washington to a Kanawha County Grand Jury. Fellow defendant Terrell Lipkins waived his right for a preliminary hearing.
Both Lipkins and Dreher paid their bond and have been set free. Washington was about to do the same, when he was charged by police in connection with a separate similar crime that happened a week earlier.
Washington is now also accused of beating and robbing a man named Oliver Gibson on Virginia Street East.
In addition, the fourth suspect wanted in connection with the downtown robbery, Timothy Schmachtenberger, 22, of Canton, Ohio, turned himself in to police Thursday afternoon.
All four men are accused of robbing and beating two men, Patrick Morrison and Andrew Rude, in the early morning hours of May 24.
During the preliminary hearing, Charleston Police Detective J. Noland testified about the evidence that led to the suspects arrests.
Noland told the court that they were able to retrieve surveillance footage from several businesses in the area surrounding where the crime took place which led to the four suspects involved being identified.
According to Noland, the first break in the case came after one of the suspects used Morrison’s stolen credit card to purchase items.
“He got a fraud alert from Chase Bank that his card had been used on four different occasions,” said Noland. “Two of the transactions were made at the 7-Eleven in Kanawha City as well as the McDonalds in Kanawha City.”
After further investigation, Noland found out the suspect was Lipkins. Noland said Lipkins was located and arrested and in an interview identified the other four suspects in the crime.
Washington and Dreher turned themselves in to police days later.
According to police the two victims said the three men attacked them and hit them in the face and head.
Noland said Thursday that Lipkin stated in an interview that Washington and Dreher were the ones who attacked and beat the two victims in the incident.
The four men are also persons of interest in yet another beating and robbery involving a crime that happened on April 20.