On the evening of May 13, 2022, 24-year-old Darren Michael Belardo, a Black/African American male, was found deceased inside an apartment in the 900 block of Wintercress Way in Chesapeake, Virginia. The Chesapeake Police Department had responded to a report of bullet holes in the side of an apartment building and upon arrival, discovered Belardo and another man, 26-year-old John Cortez Mcinnis, both dead at the scene. Investigators also located a large quantity of illegal narcotics, leading them to classify the case as both a double homicide and a narcotics investigation.
The investigation later revealed that Belardo and Mcinnis were killed during an attempted armed robbery of a 'popup' drug shop operating out of the apartment. This drug trafficking organization, which was primarily based in Hampton Roads, was managed by Corney Conley, also known as KO and Allen Conley. On the day of the incident, Belardo and Mcinnis, who were armed, attempted to rob the popup shop. In response, Conley and a worker, Rashaun Marcquez Johnson, opened fire, killing both Belardo and Mcinnis. During the altercation, another individual, Davian Marcelis Jenkins, allegedly pistol-whipped one of the wounded men as he lay dying.
Following the shooting, Conley and Jenkins were seen removing narcotics, money, and firearms from the apartment before fleeing the scene. Conley also instructed Jenkins to return to the location to dismantle and remove security cameras that had recorded the incident. Conley then fled the state. Stray bullets from the shootout struck a neighboring apartment, including a child's play kitchen, but no one else was injured. In January 2025, it was reported that three men had been convicted for their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy and the events that led to the deaths of Belardo and Mcinnis. Corney Conley was convicted on multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute drugs and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Rashaun Marcquez Johnson was also convicted and was scheduled to be sentenced in February 2025.
