Members Of Brooklyn Crew Charged With Murder, Drug Trafficking, And Firearms Offenses

 

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) announced the unsealing today of a Superseding Indictment charging DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto,” JAMEL WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Big T,” and BRANDON WILKINS, a/k/a “Banger,” a/k/a “Fishy,” with participating in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.  MACKINS and SAMUELS are also charged with carrying and using firearms in connection with that drug trafficking crime, and with participating in the murder of Felton Durant, who was shot to death on April 25, 2021.

MACKINS and SAMUELS were previously charged with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, though the charge of murder against each of them was only made public today.  WILLIAMS and WILKINS were both arrested yesterday and are expected to be presented later today before the Honorable Katharine H. Parker, United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “On April 25, 2021, Felton Durant was shot to death in broad daylight on a weekend afternoon over a drug trafficking dispute.  As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today, Danzel Mackins and Darrin Samuels participated in that brutal killing, which took place in the middle of a busy public housing development in South Brooklyn.  Thanks to the hard work of the NYPD, the defendants have been charged with this heinous crime.  I am committed to devoting every resource in my Office to target gun violence in this City.  To be clear, we are not going to give up any neighborhood, anywhere in this City to drug violence, and the charges unsealed today should make that clear to all violent actors who endanger our neighborhoods and our communities.”

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said:  “The wanton depravity outlined in the charges leveled against these individuals today will never be acceptable in any neighborhood of New York City. By dismantling their drug trafficking organization, and by putting a stop to the violence so often associated with this illegal activity, the NYPD and our law enforcement partners have affirmed our promise to the people we serve: Anyone who deals in this type of violent, destructive behavior will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment,[1] DANZEL MACKINS, DARRIN SAMUELS, JAMEL WILLIAMS, and BRANDON WILKINS, all of New York City, are charged with being members of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that distributed crack cocaine from December 2019 through July 2022.  In addition to the murder of Durant Felton on April 25, 2021, MACKINS and SAMUELS are charged with using and carrying multiple firearms in connection with the charged drug trafficking conspiracy and aiding and abetting the same.

A set of charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. 

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Thomas John Wright is in charge of the prosecution.

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

COUNT	CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAXIMUM PENALTIES
1	Narcotics conspiracy     21 U.S.C. § 846	DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto,” JAMEL WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Big T,” and BRANDON WILKINS, a/k/a “Banger,” a/k/a “Fishy"	40 years’ Imprisonment     Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 5 years
2	Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime, which firearm was brandished and discharged     18 U.S.C. § 924(c)	DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” and DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto”	Life Imprisonment     Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 10 years
3	Murder through use of a firearm     18 U.S.C. § 924(j)	DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” and DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto”	Death or Life Imprisonment     Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 5 years

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