Stefan Melville pleaded guilty Aug. 15 in connection with firing multiple rounds with a handgun at two individuals outside a party at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Melville, 30, of Queens, N.Y., admitted to the shooting on or about July 3, 2022, according to a news release.
"On a summer night in Midtown Manhattan last July, Stefan Melville used a handgun to fire multiple rounds of ammunition at two individuals walking on the sidewalk near the corner of 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in the release. "The shots sent innocent pedestrians frantically running for cover. Today’s plea sends an important message that we will continue to relentlessly investigate and prosecute gun violence in our city."
The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, and Melville is set to be sentenced Nov. 28, the release reported.
Around July 3, 2022, Melville discharged several rounds from a handgun in the direction of pedestrians on the sidewalk near the intersection of 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue, according to the release. Surveillance footage captured images of Melville in the act of firing his handgun.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers of the New York City Police Department found the upper assembly of a firearm, three shell casings and an unfired cartridge within the firearm assembly's barrel on the sidewalk where the shooting took place. The recovered shell casings and firearm assembly are depicted in the subsequent images, the release said.
Melville pleaded guilty to a single count of possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, according to the release. The stated maximum potential sentence is provided for informational purposes only, as any actual sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Williams commended the exceptional investigative efforts of the Metro Safe Streets Task Force, which consists of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD. This case falls under the jurisdiction of the Office's General Crimes Unit. The prosecution is overseen by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle, the release reported.
