Bronx man, Lamar Williams, 31, was charged on Thursday, Nov. 17, with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder with a firearm, in relation to the murder of Rasheed Barton on August 11, 2013, in the Soundview section of The Bronx.

 

The news was announced on Thursday by Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and New York police commissioner, Keechant L. Sewell, with the unsealing of the indictment. Williams was arrested on the same day and presented before magistrate judge, Jennifer E. Willis. The case is assigned to U.S. district judge, Naomi Reice Buchwald.

 

In the context of the announcement, Williams said, “As alleged, the defendant shot and murdered Rasheed Barton as part of the defendant’s gang membership and crack cocaine dealing. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who commit these horrific acts of violence.”

 

Meanwhile, Sewell said the charges highlighted what the NYPD and its partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District could accomplish when they focused on what she said were the relatively few people responsible for much of the crime and violence in New York City. “Together, we remain committed to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those who partake in any form of gang activity, from drug distribution to murder,” she said. “Make no mistake; severe consequences await anyone who dares to jeopardize the safety of our neighborhoods.”

 

According to the allegations in the indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court, from at least 2013 to 2022, Williams, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Little Black,” a/k/a “Chase Money Marz,” was a member of the Mac Ballers, a subset of the national Bloods gang. The prosecution team said the Mac Ballers operated primarily in the northeast United States, including in The Bronx, and in jails and prisons of New York City and the State of New York.

 

They said members of the Mac Ballers committed acts of violence, including murder, to protect and expand the gang’s territory, to retaliate against rival gang members, to keep victims and potential victims in fear of the gang, and to otherwise promote the gang’s reputation. They said they also distributed controlled substances in order to enrich themselves, and members promoted and celebrated the gang’s criminal conduct, including acts of violence, drug distribution, and firearm usage, on social media.

 

According to the unsealed indictment charges, on August 11, 2013, Williams allegedly shot and killed Rasheed Barton in the vicinity of East 174th Street and Bronx River Avenue in the Soundview section of The Bronx. Williams allegedly murdered Barton in connection with Williams’ membership in the Mac Ballers gang and his conspiring to sell crack cocaine.

 

Williams is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; and one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

 

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided for informational purposes only. Any applicable sentence will be determined by a judge.

 

Williams praised what he said was the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. attorneys, Mathew Andrews and Jim Ligtenberg, are in charge of the prosecution.

 

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.