A Queens gang leader has been sentenced to 28 years to life in prison for his role in the fatal shooting of a Bronx man over a drug deal that turned deadly. According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, Chance Goode, 22, was convicted of second-degree murder and a string of other charges related to the 2020 killing at Rufus King Park.
During a trial that concluded on February 10, evidence was presented showing that Goode attempted to orchestrate a robbery of marijuana, which ultimately led to the shooting. District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “The defendant, a notorious gang leader, has now been held to full account for the attempted robbery-turned-murder he orchestrated inside Rufus King Park in 2020. My office will never relinquish our parks and streets to the few individuals who drive the majority of violent crime in this borough. I thank my prosecutors and members of the NYPD for ensuring justice in this case.” Katz continued to assert that the authorities would not relent in their attempts to maintain safety in the borough's parks and streets, as per the Queens District Attorney's Office.
Justice Kenneth Holder sentenced Goode to a lengthy term, with 23 years to life handed down for the murder conviction and an additional, consecutive five years for the criminal possession of a weapon. According to the statements from the trial, the victim, 22-year-old Numani Lambert, was shot in the head after realizing that the supposed buyers had no cash to exchange for the two ounces of pot they had agreed to buy over Facebook. Lambert succumbed to his injuries three days later in the hospital.
The investigation was able to link the Facebook profile named "Pimmy Don" to Goode, who was also identified as the leader of the Never Forget Loyalty gang. It was revealed that Goode had supplied the firearm used in the murder and had directed two of his gang members to carry out the theft. The gun was later found during a search of Goode's residence. Torren King, the person who actually shot Lambert, had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year and is currently serving a 19-year sentence. Further prosecutions of other co-defendants are reportedly still pending, as detailed by the press release.
The case was handled by Assistant District Attorneys Charles Dunn and Barry Frankenstein, alongside their supervisory team.
