Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Sheldon Dottin was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison following an April jury conviction for murder. Dottin confronted his children’s grandfather, 72-year-old Gladstone Barrett, in the older man’s Springfield Gardens home in April 2022 and shot him. Dottin then fled to Panama before he was eventually extradited to Queens.

District Attorney Katz said: “Sheldon Dottin left a family without its patriarch when he shot Gladstone Barrett in his own home. The defendant thought he could get away with murder by escaping to Panama. He was apprehended and last month a jury delivered its verdict, finding him guilty. We hope today’s sentencing provides a measure of comfort to the victim’s grieving relatives.”

Dottin, 51, of Waldorf, Maryland, was found guilty in April of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Trial openings began on March 31 and summations on April 10. The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding the defendant guilty.

Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise, who presided at trial, sentenced the defendant today to 25 years to life in prison.

According to the charges and trial records, on April 1, 2022, Dottin exchanged his own car for a rented Cadillac XT5 in East Brunswick, N.J., and drove to the residence of 72-year-old Gladstone Barrett on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard in Springfield Gardens.

At approximately 3 p.m. on that day, Dottin parked the vehicle around the corner from Barrett’s home and donned a hat, mask and windbreaker jacket before going inside.

Dottin had been dating Barrett’s daughter for years and they had two children together. They lived at Barrett’s home before moving to Maryland in 2016. Barrett’s daughter ended the relationship and moved out in February of 2022, something Barrett had encouraged.

After a brief confrontation between Dottin and Barrett, Dottin shot the elderly man, causing injury to his right hand, esophagus and liver. Dottin then quickly left the residence.

Barrett verbally identified Dottin as the person who shot him to his wife, who came to his aid from another part of the house when she heard her husband calling for help. Barrett also identified Dottin as the person who shot him to a police officer with a body worn camera before he was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

Barrett died 18 days after the incident on April 19, 2022.

After shooting Barrett, Dottin fled to Panama. He was arrested by authorities when he attempted to board a flight from Panama to Trinidad and was later extradited to face the charges against him.

Assistant District Attorney Gabriel J. Reale, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, prosecuted the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Peyton Nir of the District Attorney’s Felony Trials Bureau III, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski, Homicide Bureau Chief, Karen Ross, Deputy Chief, under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.