Frank Jenkins Pleads Guilty to Fatal Manhattan Drug Shooting

A fatal shooting in the shadows of Manhattan’s federal courthouse has ended in a guilty plea from Vermont drug dealer Frank Jenkins, 23, who admitted to murdering Rashaun Nicholson on December 28, 2014, in Lower Manhattan. The execution-style killing, carried out at 78 Catherine Street, was directly tied to a sprawling narcotics distribution ring that funneled crack and heroin from New York City to Bennington, Vermont.

Jenkins pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl in Manhattan federal court, admitting he shot and killed Nicholson during an operation connected to a drug trafficking conspiracy. The charges stem from a seven-count superseding indictment filed in December 2015, which details Jenkins’ role in a criminal enterprise that imported large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin from the Bronx and Manhattan for resale in Vermont.

According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, Jenkins and co-conspirators regularly transported narcotics from New York City to Bennington, establishing a pipeline that fueled addiction and violence across state lines. The conspiracy operated between 2014 and 2015, with Jenkins playing a central role in procurement and distribution. The murder of Rashaun Nicholson was carried out in furtherance of that enterprise, prosecutors say.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara made no apologies in condemning Jenkins’ actions: “Frank Jenkins not only supplied a large part of the New York City-to-Bennington pipeline of crack and heroin, but as part of that drug business, he shot and killed a man in lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from the Manhattan federal courthouse.” Bharara added, “Today, in that courthouse, Jenkins pled guilty to his crimes and faces a lengthy prison sentence.”

As a result of his guilty plea, Jenkins now faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life. Sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Koeltl. Federal authorities emphasized that the case exemplifies the deadly consequences of drug trafficking networks operating across state jurisdictions.

The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, the Vermont State Police, and the Bennington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont provided critical support throughout the probe. Prosecution is being handled by the Violent and Organized Crime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gerber, Hadassa Waxman, Andrew Adams, and Margaret Graham leading the case.