Last Man Sentenced in 2019 Christmas Eve Shooting Death of Samir Geiger
MEDIA COURTHOUSE – Jazmar Thomas, the final defendant in the 2019 Christmas Eve shooting death of 20-year-old Samir Geiger, was sentenced to 10-20 years in a state prison on Thursday. Thomas, 22, of Chester, had previously entered open guilty pleas in September to charges including third-degree murder, reckless burning, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to third-degree murder.
Thomas’s co-defendants, Jamir Hughes, 23, of Philadelphia, and Ramaj Poller, 21, also from Chester, had already pleaded guilty and were sentenced in September. Geiger was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in an Upper Darby alleyway on December 24, 2019, and was pronounced dead at the scene. His Glock handgun and iPhone were missing.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing a black male with dreadlocks getting into an Infiniti G35 sedan, which sped away with its headlights off. Later that night, the police responded to a car fire and discovered a silver Infiniti G35, which had been reported stolen in Delaware. Prints belonging to Poller and Thomas were found on the vehicle.
During questioning, Thomas claimed to have found the Infiniti running unoccupied in Chester and said he went to buy weed from a friend of Geiger’s on the night of the shooting. He heard gunshots, fled the scene, and later torched the car. Hughes, who made a FaceTime call to Geiger shortly before the incident, admitted to planning to steal Geiger’s gun with Poller, who shot the victim.
Poller was later arrested in August 2020 after attempting to hit a police officer with a stolen Jeep. He was charged with attempted murder, as well as robbery and burglary charges in separate cases. Both Hughes and Poller pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy, with Poller receiving a total sentence of 31½ to 70 years.
During his sentencing, Thomas apologized to Geiger’s family and expressed remorse for his actions. His defense attorney highlighted his client’s post-traumatic stress disorder and clinical anxiety resulting from a separate shooting incident in 2019. Thomas was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.
Judge Margaret Amoroso accepted Thomas’s remorse but wanted to ensure he remains under supervision until at least the age of 39. In addition to prison time, Thomas must provide a DNA sample to state police and is not eligible for early release..