A long-simmering East Harlem drug dispute has ended with a heavy prison term. On Friday, a Manhattan judge sentenced Terrence Haynes to 12½ to 25 years in state prison for plotting the 2022 killing of Timothy “TJ” Parker outside Parker’s East Harlem apartment.
The sentence follows Haynes’s conviction earlier this year on a second-degree conspiracy charge and caps what prosecutors describe as a multi‑year investigation into a drug‑related retaliation that rattled the neighborhood. Parker was gunned down on Oct. 25, 2022, outside his building, a killing that neighbors say they still remember vividly.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the outcome in a post on X, saying Haynes had been held accountable and would face a “significant prison sentence.” Local outlets later detailed the 12½‑to‑25‑year term and the prosecution’s account of Haynes’s role in setting the plot in motion. Alvin Bragg publicly shared the office’s announcement.
Terrence Haynes has been held accountable and will serve a significant prison sentence for orchestrating the senseless killing of Timothy Parker. - D.A. Bragg https://x.com/i/status/2076675956496843058
- Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) July 13, 2026
How Prosecutors Say The Plot Unfolded
According to prosecutors, Haynes was already behind bars when he decided Parker had to die over a drug money dispute. From jail, they say, he recruited two men, Shaun McClam and Luis Roman, to carry out the hit.
Investigators allege that McClam watched Parker’s building ahead of time, then returned in a delivery‑style disguise on Oct. 25, 2022. Prosecutors say he walked up to Parker outside his East Harlem apartment and fatally shot him. Those details first surfaced in the indictment and in early coverage of the case. 1010 WINS reported on the original charges and the alleged planning.
Earlier Pleas And Sentences
McClam and Roman did not wait for trial. Both previously pleaded guilty in related proceedings, part of what prosecutors framed as an effort to hold every member of the crew accountable.
McClam admitted to murder in the second degree and conspiracy, leaving him exposed to a potential 20‑years‑to‑life term, according to court filings and prior coverage. Roman pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy and was later sentenced to 13 years in prison. Those earlier outcomes were detailed in coverage of the earlier guilty pleas.
What Haynes Was Convicted Of
Haynes took his chances at trial. On April 8, 2026, a jury found him guilty of one count of second‑degree conspiracy, a felony that opened the door to a lengthy state prison term.
At sentencing, the judge handed down the 12½‑to‑25‑year range after hearing evidence and argument that Haynes had organized the plot from behind bars, even if he never pulled the trigger himself. Shore News Network outlined the conviction and the sentence.
Neighbors and anti‑violence advocates have said the prison term may offer a measure of closure for Parker’s loved ones and the block where he was killed, but they also stress that long sentences alone will not solve East Harlem’s gun violence problem. They continue to call for more prevention work, street‑level outreach, and resources to keep similar disputes from escalating to bloodshed.
For readers who want to dig into how the case first came together, earlier coverage of the earlier guilty pleas and the original reporting from 1010 WINS offer a fuller look at the indictment and the case’s early court battles.
