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Olympian Simone Biles' Brother Pleads Not Guilty To New Year's Eve Triple Murder Charges
Tevin Biles-Thomas is being held on $1 million bond.
The brother of gymnast phenom Simone Biles was arraigned in a Cleveland courtroom on Friday morning, pleading not guilty for his role in a triple homicide that happened during a New Year’s Eve party.
Tevin Biles-Thomas, 24, appeared before a judge at the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to answer to charges of murder, attempted murder, and felonious assault after a Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted him.
The active Army soldier was captured on camera alongside his public defender through a video arraignment when he entered his plea. The judge ordered the young man be held in lieu of a $1 million bond and was also required to stay away from any surviving victims, according to Cleveland.com.
Last month, a grand jury indicted Biles-Thomas in connection to a New Year’s Eve shooting that occurred at a party held at an Airbnb rental located above a Cleveland pizzeria.
Police said at the time that the fatal gunshots were prompted after a fight broke out when a group of men crashed a party and were asked to leave.
Three men, Devaughn Gibson, 23, DelVaunte Johnson, 19, and Toshaun Banks, 21, all died in the incident, according to Cleveland.com.
There were two others wounded in the bloody New Year's Eve party, including a 21-year-old man shot in the back and a 23-year-old woman struck by gunfire to the arm, the publication confirmed.
On Sept. 2, Biles released a statement in a tweet extending solidarity for all of those affected in the deadly shooting incident.
“My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families,” her statement read. “There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone’s pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.”
Johnson’s mother, Brandie Johnson, attended Friday's arraignment.
She was photographed wearing a black T-shirt bearing a photograph of both her and her son at his prom night two years ago. Above the image were the words: "MY BABY'S KEEPER.”
“I don’t agree with a million dollars bond, not for the murder of three people," Brandie Johnson told Cleveland.com after the arraignment.
Her son, she told the publication, was with Banks at the party before a standoff ensued and shots were fired.
Brandie Johnson fought tears and said, “We’re just trying to find out how to get through this for these babies."
A pretrial hearing for Biles-Thomas is scheduled for Sept. 18, NEWS5 Cleveland reports.
