⏱ 2 min read
Charles ‘Payback’ Powell and Musah ‘General Red’ Coward were sentenced to 42 and 45 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the brutal murder of a security guard during an armed robbery in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood.
The robbery, which took place on September 27, 2019, also left three others wounded. Powell and Coward were convicted in January 2025 of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and the firearm-related murder of Rodney Maxwell.
Co-defendant Brian ‘Morenaje’ Castro was previously sentenced to 45 years in prison in December 2025. As part of their sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay restitution, including $26,730 to Maxwell’s daughter.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. described the crime as a ‘senseless, premediated, and brutal act of gun violence’ that took the life of a security guard who was simply doing his job.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: New York
- Location: NY
- Source: DOJ Press Release
