THE BRONX — A Bronx gang member admitted to fatally shooting a 17-year-old boy at a birthday party while pleading guilty to his involvement in a racketeering conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney announced Friday.
Martin Mitchell, 22, admitted to killing Keshon Potterfield in June 2014, prosecutors said.
Mitchell, also known as “Tyliek,” was a member of the violent street gang Big Money Bosses, which operated around White Plains Road from 215th to 233rd streets, according to officials.
“This type of senseless gang violence threatens the safety and security of all New Yorkers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to confront it aggressively,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.
Mitchell and other gang members attended a party on June 22, 2014, according to officials, and fatally shot Potterfield as a result of a rivalry with another gang. He was arrested on April 27, 2016.
Between 2007 and 2016, members of BMB sold drugs and committed several murders, attempted murders and armed robberies, prosecutors said.
As part of their investigation, officials charged 63 gang members and associates with racketeering conspiracy and narcotics distribution, among other charges.
Thirty of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mitchell faces up to life in prison on a charge of racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on April 6, 2017.
His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
