LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Las Vegas police believe a man in custody for a 2023 killing is connected to three others and was hired as a hit man for those who owed money in a loan fraud scheme, NewsNation affiliate KLAS has learned.

Police filed three new open murder charges against Michael Coleman, 40, on Tuesday around 2 p.m., KLAS first reported.

Officers arrested Coleman in May 2023 for the death of Kidada Stewart, 48. In that case, Coleman faces several charges, including first-degree murder. A trial was scheduled to begin in October.

On Feb. 27, 2023, officers responded to a 911 from a person who said they heard several gunshots near Fort Apache Road and Mountains Edge Way in the southwest valley, KLAS reported at the time.

Officers later found Stewart deceased outside of a home. Police tracked Coleman to Stewart’s killing from a traffic stop in Arizona 12 hours after the shooting. Officers arrested him in May 2023 after a standoff.

Throughout the investigation, police learned of a man named Carl Chester who allegedly defrauded the government of several Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jason Johannson said Tuesday. Chester and his associates would disperse the money and Chester would take a cut of the money for his work and help to get them the loan.

When Chester did not receive his cut of the money, he would threaten or use violence against the individuals to get his money, Johannson said. Chester would hire Coleman to kill those who shorted Chester of his money, and if Coleman could not get to the targeted person, he would go after family members.

While conspiring to commit the murder, Chester and Coleman often used physical and electronic surveillance to track their victims, police said.

While in custody for the 2023 murder, police connected Coleman to the three others, Johannson said.

May 2021

Benjamin McCarty, 49, was shot while working on his car in a parking lot in the 3900 block of Charleston Boulevard. Police said Coleman parked near McCarty and approached him before shooting and killing him. Early on in this investigation, police identified the getaway driver as Ardlanders Gibson.

Gibson took a plea deal and was convicted in the case.

McCarty’s killing was the only one out of the four that had no connection to Chester, Johannson said. Police said McCarty, Gibson and Coleman were all part of a gang, and police believe the motive behind the murder was internal strife within the gang.

November 2021

The second murder Coleman was connected to was the death of Marcus Larry, 39. Larry was shot multiple times inside the Teriyaki Madness on Charleston Boulevard near Town Center Drive. Police initially identified and arrested Oscar Richardson Jr., Larry’s cousin, as the suspect, but he was later released once police obtained evidence he was innocent.

Richardson was exonerated of his charges, and Coleman was facing charges as of Tuesday in this case.

November 2022

William Hill Jr., 54, was shot and killed outside his home while working on his car near Martin Luther King Jr. and Lake Mead boulevards.

Police said the same red Hyundai that was used in Stewart’s case dropped Coleman off and Coleman shot Hill before being picked up by the Hyundai. The getaway driver was identified as Demarcus Banks, who is now deceased.

Police said Hill was because of his son, who is currently in prison on PPP loan fraud. Police said since Chester could not get to Hill’s son, they went after his father.

Chester, who organized the killings of Stewart, Larry and Hill, was killed in March 2024 by members of Hill’s family in retaliation, police said.

Coleman has remained in custody on $250,000 bail since his 2023 arrest. In addition to the three added murder charges, Coleman faces charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, KLAS first reported.

KLAS investigative reporter David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.