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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Murder in Queens
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marcus Pittman, also known as "Nacho" and "Cheese," pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm and causing a death through the use of a firearm in connection with the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of a marijuana dealer on July 25, 2024.
According to court filings and statements by the defendant at the guilty plea proceeding, during the night of July 24, 2024, and into July 25, 2024, Marcus Pittman and his co-defendants carried out a violent armed robbery and kidnapping plot that resulted in the defendant shooting and killing a restrained captive in the back of a U-Haul van in Bayside, Queens.
Specifically, Marcus Pittman and his co-defendants drove up from Maryland to New York for the purpose of robbing two local marijuana dealers. Once in New York, co-defendants Jerome Waters and William Barnett met with the dealers at a stash house in Queens under the guise of purchasing marijuana.
Moments later, Waters and Barnett pulled out their weapons and held up the dealers. They then brought Marcus Pittman and his brother Delonta Pittman into the stash house to assist in the robbery and kidnapping. While in the stash house, Marcus Pittman and his co-defendants restrained the dealers with zip ties and forced them outside and into the back of a Jeep and a U-Haul van.
At the same time, Marcus Pittman and his co-defendants stole approximately 30 pounds of marijuana from the stash house. Marcus Pittman and his co-defendants drove the restrained dealers through Queens at gunpoint, demanding drugs and money. Co-defendant Jalon Garrett held a gun to one of the dealers in one vehicle while Marcus Pittman held the other at gunpoint in the back of a U-Haul van driven by Calvin Israel.
Soon thereafter, Marcus Pittman shot one of the dealers to death in the rear compartment of the U-Haul van. After the shooting, the defendants returned to Maryland. When the victim’s body was later found by first responders, he still had a zip tie binding one of his hands and was surrounded by bags of marijuana.
Co-defendants Barnett, Delonta Pittman, Waters, Garrett, and Israel all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the crime, and are awaiting sentencing. Marcus Pittman faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life in prison when sentenced.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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