Murder witness makes plea deal

A witness in a gang-related murder pleaded guilty to two felonies Thursday in a sealed agreement with prosecutors. Antonio E. Cook Jr., 28, will remain in jail pending sentencing, which was not immediately scheduled. The deal drops several charges, including robbery, gun and drug possession, but those charges can be refiled if Cook doesn’t comply with the deal, Deputy Prosecutor Mark Cipolla said in court. Police say Cook told them that Edward “TD” Thomas, a fugitive, admitted to shooting John S. Williams six or seven times before firing a single round into his face at close range on Jan. 17. Cook was arrested in February after police found his fingerprints on the stolen gun used to kill Williams, but he isn’t believed to have been present when Williams was killed. Cook had threatened a teen who was cooperating with police, leading to the intimidation conviction. The assault charge was for an unrelated incident in September.