Queens Man Pleads Guilty To Midtown Manhattan Shooting

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEFAN MELVILLE pled guilty today in connection with firing multiple rounds with a handgun at two individuals outside of a party at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  MELVILLE pled guilty before United States District Judge Richard M. Berman and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On a summer night in Midtown Manhattan last July, Stefan Melville used a handgun to fire multiple rounds of ammunition at two individuals walking on the sidewalk near the corner of 42^nd Street and Ninth Avenue.  The shots sent innocent pedestrians frantically running for cover.  Today’s plea sends an important message that we will continue to relentlessly investigate and prosecute gun violence in our city.”

According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:

On or about July 3, 2022, MELVILLE fired multiple shots with a handgun in the direction of individuals walking on the sidewalk near the corner of 42^nd Street and Ninth Avenue.  The following images from surveillance footage show MELVILLE firing his handgun.

Upon arriving at the scene, officers of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) recovered the upper assembly of a firearm, 3 shell casings and 1 unfired cartridge inside the barrel of the firearm assembly on the sidewalk where MELVILLE engaged in the shooting.  The following images show the shell casings and firearm assembly recovered at the scene.

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MELVILLE, 30, of Queens, New York, pled guilty to one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Metro Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of agents and officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution.