Manhattan Man Charged With Murder Of 17-Year-Old

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging GARY TURNER with the April 24, 2018, murder of Samuel Ozuna, 17, outside the George Washington Carver Houses in New York, New York.  TURNER was arrested this morning and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman.  TURNER will be arraigned on May 8, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, to whom the case has been assigned.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Just a few days ago, as alleged in the indictment, Gary Turner murdered 17-year-old Samuel Ozuna.  Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the NYPD, Turner is now in custody and charged with this terrible crime.  We will continue our daily work with the NYPD to keep the streets safe and to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who wreak violence upon our community.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Violence will never be tolerated in New York City.  I commend all the professionals whose dogged investigative work enabled the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to swiftly identify, apprehend and bring this alleged killer to justice.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:

On April 24, 2018, GARY TURNER shot and killed Samuel Ozuna in the vicinity of 60 East 104th Street in Manhattan.  TURNER killed Ozuna in part to maintain and increase his position in a racketeering enterprise operating in and around the George Washington Carver Houses.

TURNER is charged with using a firearm to commit murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of death, or life in prison, and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison.  The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.           

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.     

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.