Prosecutor alleges 'murder for hire' conspiracy in Covington drive-by shooting

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated which co-defendant talked to a girlfriend about the shooting according to prosecutors.

The two men accused of shooting and injuring five people in a Covington drive-by shooting were part of a 'murder for hire' conspiracy, said a Kenton County prosecutor Tuesday in court.

Police found five people ages 18-51 injured in an April 2, 2019, drive-by shooting in the 300-block of East 13th Street, Covington. Walton-resident Dawayne Dixon, 20 and 18-year-old Bryce Newborn of Latonia have both been indicted on charges including five counts of attempted murder and three charges of first-degree wanton endangerment.

Newborn and was part of a conspiracy, said Aaron Levinson, an assistant prosecutor in the Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

"He and Dixon were involved in a murder for hire," Levinson said.

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Levinson pointed out how Dixon was arrested a day after the shooting two blocks away from the drive-by scene. Dixon was seen walking with another person and smoking marijuana, according to a Covington police report.

"They knew they didn't finish the job, so they showed up the next day," he said.

Newborn never said he did it, said Christopher Meier, defense attorney for Newborn.

"He said he was aware that there was a hit out on the people," Meier said.

Meier said the statements made in court by prosecutors are allegations.

Prosecutors are trying to introduce recorded statements police have from Dixon's girlfriend in a scheduled Feb. 5 trial, Levinson said. Dixon made statements about the shooting to his girlfriend a day after the shooting, he said.

Dixon was initially arrested April 3 in Covington on charges of second-degree fleeing or evading police on foot, and third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor at East 15th and Wheeler streets, according to a police report.

Dixon and Newborn are each being held on $100,000 bonds in the Kenton County Detention Center. Newborn has been additionally charged with receiving stolen property (firearm), and second-degree fleeing or evading police.

Prosecutors have jailhouse texts of Dixon saying "We're going to leave it to the streets" on a recorded jail call to another person, Levinson said.

"This violence is going to continue," Levinson said. "That's what that means."

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