(Stock Unsplash)
July 12, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Three Queens men were indicted on murder charges for the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man in a Jamaica park last year, the Queens District Attorney announced Friday.
The men were arraigned and indicted by a grand jury in Queens Supreme Court Thursday for the Oct. 15 shooting.
The three were allegedly involved in a planned robbery — involving a bogus marijuana deal — that ended in the fatal shooting of Numani Lambert of the Bronx.
One of the three defendants, 18-year-old Chance Goode of Jamaica, acted as the ringleader according to the charges.
Goode — under the online alias “Pimmy Don” — allegedly messaged a friend of the victim on Facebook to arrange a meeting to buy weed from them at Rufus King Park.
He then sent the other two defendants—18-year-old Torren King of the Rockaways and 22-year-old Jabari Curtis of St. Albans—to the meeting place in the park.
Goode allegedly told King to rob the sellers — Lambert and his two friends — and have Curtis act as the getaway driver, according to the criminal complaint.
Curtis allegedly drove King and a fourth, unnamed man to meet up with Lambert and his two friends at the park at around 4:30 p.m. After meeting face-to-face, the two groups argued over the payment for the marijuana until Lambert and his friends turned and walked away without making the exchange.
King then called them back and allegedly pulled out a gun aimed at Lambert at close range. He shouted, “Now you have to give it to me” before allegedly firing two shots at Lambert, according to the charges.
A single bullet struck Lambert in the head. He died three days later at a nearby hospital, the Queens District Attorney said.
Police allegedly founded a 9 mm Luger that was used in the murder along with nine rounds of ammunition during a subsequent search of Goode’s home.
“As alleged, the defendants orchestrated and carried out a brazen robbery scheme that resulted in the broad daylight murder of a 22-year-old man, at a park frequented by children and teenagers,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “We must stop the scourge of gun violence in our communities.”
The three men were arraigned on a nine-count indictment charging them with murder in the second degree, attempted robbery in the first and second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and conspiracy in the fourth degree.
They are set to return to court on July 19. Each faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
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