A Maryland Man Was Fired for Fraud. Now, He’s Serving Life for Terrorizing His Ex-Boss in His Basement, Fatally Shooting Him in the Head.

A Maryland man who was fired from his job was sentenced to life in prison after he terrorized his ex-boss and then shot him to death in his basement.

In April 2021, Billy Phillips, 38, was fired from his job at Payment Solutions Inc. He was in “financial despair” when he went to his ex-boss’ house on June 23, 2021, to steal checks, as Front Page Detectives previously reported.

His boss, Geoffrey Biddle, happened to be home, so Phillips reportedly “terrorized” him in the basement before fatally shooting him four times, including once in the head. Before leaving, Phillips “disabled Biddle’s car to prevent him from trying to escape.”

Biddle was reported missing on June 24, 2021, and Montgomery County Police found his body in the basement of his house with a “large amount of blood.” Police also recovered .22 caliber shell casings.

His death was ruled a homicide.

An employee at Payment Solutions who had access to Biddle’s accounts checked out his bank account and “noticed a check from Biddle’s personal SunTrust account made out to Billy Phillips” on June 20, 2021. The signature on that check was reportedly forged.

There was a second check made out to Billy Phillips dated June 17, 2021, in the amount of $9,500.

After shooting Biddle, Phillips reportedly predated the stolen checks for June 20, 2021, and June 18, 2021, before cashing them in on the same day as the fatal shooting.

Police found the victim’s checkbook and bank card in Phillips’ vehicle when he was arrested.

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In February, Phillips pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, home invasion, armed robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

On May 1, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Phillips was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 65 years.

In a statement, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said, "This case is among the most evil that we have seen. The murder of Geoffrey Biddle was calculated and brutal. The defendant had a history of escalating criminal behavior, and we thank Judge Smith for this sentence which will ensure he no longer poses a threat to the community."