Bloods Killer Skeete Gets Life for Newport News Murders

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Mark Anthony Skeete, 33, a New York man with ties to the notorious Nine Trey Gangsters subset of the Bloods street gang, will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He was sentenced today to two consecutive life terms for the brutal murders of two men in Newport News, Virginia, in June and July of 2014. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak, bringing a grim close to a case steeped in gang violence, sex trafficking, and cold-blooded execution.

Court documents paint a chilling picture of Skeete’s operation. In June 2014, he arrived in Virginia to exploit vulnerable women, facilitating their prostitution in the Richmond area. On June 28th, Skeete and his crew traveled to Newport News to profit from the exploitation of a woman brought from New York. When a client couldn’t – or wouldn’t – pay, Skeete didn’t hesitate. He shot and killed the man, a stark demonstration of power and control within the Nine Trey enterprise. This wasn’t a robbery gone wrong; it was a business decision, a brutal enforcement of the gang’s bottom line.

Skeete and his associates fled to North Carolina after the first murder, but the violence wasn’t over. They returned to Newport News on July 16th, targeting another man during a drug transaction. This time, Skeete didn’t just kill; he robbed the victim of money, drugs, and a cell phone, adding theft to the list of his offenses. Shortly after, he slipped back into Richmond, attempting to disappear into the urban landscape. But the evidence was mounting. A firearm recovered in Richmond on September 17, 2014, was forensically linked to both Newport News murders, the ballistic fingerprint proving Skeete’s direct involvement.

The carnage didn’t stop in Newport News. Following the two murders on the Peninsula, Skeete claimed two more lives in Richmond in September 2014. He was previously convicted in state court and sentenced to a staggering 75 years for those crimes, but today’s federal sentencing ensures he will remain incarcerated for the remainder of his life. The case highlights the reach of gang violence and the ease with which criminals can move across state lines to continue their deadly trade.

U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, announced the sentencing. The investigation was led by the FBI’s Peninsula Safe Streets Task Force, a collaborative effort involving the FBI, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police Division, James City County Police Department, and Newport News Police Department. This task force is dedicated to dismantling the most violent criminal organizations operating in the region. Anyone with information regarding gang activity or violent crime is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or through their online tip portal at https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Brian Samuels, along with former Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick, prosecuted the case. Details of the press release can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website. Court documents related to Case No. 4:19-cr-62 are available on the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia website or through PACER.