April 25, 2000

ROSEDALE MAN CONVICTED IN THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF LIVERY CAB DRIVER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of Rakeem Brown, 20, of 245-36 149 Road, Rosedale, on charges of attempted murder and attempted robbery in a January 1999 assault on a livery cab driver. The trial before Justice Richard L. Buchter lasted two and a half weeks. At sentencing on May 8, 2000 the defendant faces up to 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, "The defendant summoned a cab driver with no other purpose than to rob him. When the man resisted he was shot in the face by his assailant. It is happenstance that makes this only an attempted murder. It is a miracle that the driver did not die. The defendant is a dangerous individual who deserves to be in prison for a long time."

According to the District Attorney, Rakeem Brown and a friend, Eric Pope, 17, of 139-32 230 Street, who pled guilty to attempted murder charges last June and is now serving a five year sentence, called for a cab on the evening of January 9, 1999. Once seated in the cab they demanded the driver's money. The driver pointed out that he knew one of the two robbers and said, "Don't joke with me." The defendants responded that they were not joking and Brown, sitting in the back seat, shot the cab driver as he turned to talk to him. The would be robbers fled and their victim managed to drive a few blocks to a gas station for help.

Assistant District Attorney Marcia Long of the District Attorney's Anti-Bias/Youth Gang Bureau, which is under the supervision of Bureau Chief Mareila Stanton and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney James C. Quinn, was the trial prosecutor.