Tag: Aaron Rajman

Fourth person sentenced in 2017 fatal shooting of MMA fighter Aaron Rajman

MMA fighter Aaron Rajman died from gunshot wounds in July 2017 after a home-invasion robbery at his home near Boca Raton.

(Editor’s note: This story was originally published at The Palm Beach Post, a Gannett-owned media outlet. It was written by Julius Whigham II.)

WEST PALM BEACH — A judge has sentenced a Riviera Beach man to 10 years in state prison after the man pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2017 murder of mixed martial arts fighter [autotag]Aaron Rajman[/autotag].

Cameron Burgess-Clark, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and two counts of armed home invasion robbery during a plea hearing Thursday before Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates.

Burgess-Clark was of the one of six people arrested in the July 3, 2017, fatal shooting of Rajman and is one of five to either plead guilty or be convicted at trial. Roberto Ortiz, who was found guilty of first-degree murder in August, is scheduled to be sentenced this month.  Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Rajman was shot during a fight that started after several people entered his suburban Boca Raton home that night.

An indictment charging Burgess-Clark with first-degree murder in 2019 said that swords, marijuana, narcotics, a scale and money were stolen from the residence south of Palmetto Park Road in what appeared to be a targeted home invasion.

Among the other people arrested in the case:

  •  In September, a judge sentenced Austin Baker to 25 years in prison after the 25-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder and armed home invasion, similar to Burgess-Clark.
  • Two other defendants — Jace Swinton, 23, and Summer Church, 21 — pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2019 in exchange for 10 years in prison and 10 more of probation.
  • The remaining defendant, Alton Anders, 33, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Rajman was a 145-pound featherweight who trained at a gym in Coconut Creek. He made his MMA debut in April 2014 and had a 2-2 record as a professional. Rajman grew up in the Boca Raton area, having moved to Florida from New York when he was a child.

During Thursday’s plea hearing, Coates sentenced Burgess-Clark to three concurrent 10-year terms in state prison and credited him with nearly three years of time served in jail while awaiting trial.

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Sixth suspect charged in 2017 killing of American Top Team fighter Aaron Rajman

Authorities have charged a sixth person in the July 2017 home invasion and fatal shooting of MMA fighter Aaron Rajman.

(Editor’s note: This story originally published at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network.)

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Authorities have charged a sixth person in the July 2017 home invasion and fatal shooting of mixed martial arts fighter [autotag]Aaron Rajman[/autotag] west of Boca Raton.

Alton Anders, 31, was ordered to remain in jail without bail after his first appearance in court before Circuit Judge Charles Burton on Tuesday morning, according to court records.

It’s unclear how Anders, who was arrested Monday, is connected to the homicide. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office did not release any further information.

Investigators say a group of individuals went into Rajman’s home, in a neighborhood south of Palmetto Park Road between State Road 7 and Lyons Road, at about 10:30 p.m. July 3, 2017. A fight broke out and Rajman was fatally shot.

It’s unclear who shot the 25-year-old. Family and friends said Rajman was a “kind, gentle” person who didn’t have any enemies and was one of only a few Orthodox Jews in the MMA arena.

Summer Church, Jace Swinton, Roberto Ortiz, Austin Baker and Cameron Burgess-Clark also have been arrested in connection to the homicide.

The indictments allege Church, Swinton and Ortiz stole swords, marijuana, a scale, narcotics and money in what is believed to be a targeted home invasion.

Aaron Rajman, left, during one of his fights. (File photo)

Church and Swinton, who were arrested in 2017, took pleas in their cases. Teens at the time of the shooting, they pleaded guilty in 2019 to the lesser charge of second-degree murder and were sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.

Ortiz’s case has yet to reach a conclusion. He was arrested in 2017 and is scheduled to be in court for a status check in March. Most jury trials and hearings have been on hold since March 2020 as the courts, along with other government entities and businesses, closed in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Baker was serving a prison sentence for burglary when a grand jury charged him in 2019. His case remains open.

In an August motion from his lawyer, Public Defender Carey Haughwout, and in a December letter he wrote to Circuit Judge Rosemarie Scher, Baker said the only evidence against him are the words of of Church and Swinton, who took pleas in exchange for their testimony.

Investigators have not released how Baker is connected to the homicide.

Burgess-Clark’s case also remains open. It’s also unclear how he is connected to the alleged crime.