Nicholas Joseph, Shooting a Minor, New York 2017

BRONX, NEW YORK – In a shocking display of violence, 23-year-old Nicholas Joseph, also known as ‘Gotti’ and ‘Finesse,’ has been convicted of shooting a 12-year-old child in a Bronx playground.

The tragic incident occurred on April 28, 2017, at the Story Playground in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx. A jury returned a guilty verdict against Joseph on five counts, including racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and firearms offenses.

U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Department of Investigation. ‘Nicholas Joseph participated in a violent gang for years and carried out a shooting in a playground next to an elementary school, seriously injuring a 12-year-old child,’ Strauss said.

According to the Superseding Indictment and the evidence at trial, Joseph was a member and associate of the Castle Hill Crew, a racketeering enterprise that operated principally in the Castle Hill Houses in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx. The crew committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics; engaged in fraud; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.

The charges against Joseph include racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years; attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years; using and carrying a firearm during, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory consecutive prison term of 10 years and a maximum prison term of life; and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, each of which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, Celia V. Cohen, Emily A. Johnson, and Justin V. Rodriguez, and paralegal specialist Victoria Bosah, are in charge of the prosecution.

Joseph is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2022, by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who presided over the seven-day trial. The shooting incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and the conviction of Joseph brings some measure of justice to the victim and their family.

Related Federal Cases