Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Faisil McCants, 18, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing and brandishing a machine gun during an armed robbery in East Harlem that resulted in the death of a 69-year-old bystander. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, with sentencing scheduled for March 31, 2026.
According to prosecutors, on August 27, 2025, McCants and two accomplices robbed a drug dealer near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue. During the incident, McCants fired fifteen rounds from a firearm equipped with a machine-gun conversion device toward the intended target. One of the bullets struck a woman standing nearby with her walker; she later died at the hospital.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated: “Faisil McCants fired 15 bullets in a matter of seconds in the middle of the day, killing a 69-year-old innocent woman who was doing nothing more than standing by her walker on an East Harlem street. This type of senseless violence cannot and will not be tolerated. The people of this City expect and deserve to be able to walk our streets without fear. Thanks to the swift and tireless work of our partners at HSI and the NYPD, McCants will now face justice for his August 2025 crime. His plea today underscores our Office’s unwavering commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who use guns to destroy communities and lives.”
Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations New York Field Office, commented: “Nearly three months ago, Robin Wright’s life was cut short in what can only be described as a senseless, avoidable, and absolutely unacceptable tragedy. With today’s guilty plea, an admitted violent criminal will spend decades in prison with no choice but to relive the events—and the decisions—that landed him there, while an innocent woman’s grieving family prepares for their first holiday season without her. Protecting New Yorkers is non-negotiable, and HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use every tool at our disposal in doing just that.”
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of thirty years in prison and could result in life imprisonment; sentencing decisions rest with the judge.
Jay Clayton commended Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department for their investigative efforts. He also acknowledged support from several agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; New York State Board of Parole; Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; as well as Special Agents from his own office.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper from the Violent Organizations & Crime Unit.
