Press Release

Defendants Killed Guyanese Man and Shot Brother During Richmond Hill Robbery

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shakim Allen and Dreshaun Smith were sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for killing a man visiting from Guyana and shooting his brother during a Richmond Hill robbery in January 2017.

District Attorney Katz said: “One of the two victims was shot trying to rescue his brother from a craven robbery committed by the defendants. I hope the rest of the family can find peace in their sentencing.”

Allen, 29, of Merrick Avenue, and Smith, 29, of 160th Street, in Jamaica, Queens, were convicted last month by a jury of murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and tampering with physical evidence. Allen was additionally convicted of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, while Smith was additionally convicted of arson in the third degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis sentenced both defendants yesterday to 50 years to life in prison.

According to the charges:

• On January 2, 2017, at approximately 3:22 a.m., near the corner of 124th Street and Liberty Avenue, Smith waited inside a two-door Mercedes-Benz while Allen confronted 24-year-old Sonny Kalisaran with a gun, attempting to rob him. The victim’s brother, 31-year-old Rocky Kalisaran of Guyana, who was waiting nearby, saw the confrontation and ran to his brother’s aid. Allen then pursued both men as they ran from him.
• Allen caught up to the brothers and wrestled with the older victim over his gun, which discharged. The younger victim yelled for help and slashed Allen several times in the face with a keychain pen knife. At that time, Smith drove up to them, got out of the car with a raised gun and fired multiple times at the two victims. He struck the younger Kalisaran in the arm and back as he ran and the older victim in the chest, lower torso, and leg. At some point, Allen picked up the younger victim’s cell phone and wallet from the ground, then both defendants got back into the car and drove off.
• The men fled the scene and drove to Cohen Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, where Allen was treated for stab and slash wounds after he discarded Sonny Kalisaran’s phone and wallet in a sewer.
• Later that day, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the fire department responded to a vehicle fire in a rear parking lot on 186th Street and 104th Avenue in Jamaica. When police arrived, they identified the burnt vehicle to be a Mercedes-Benz coupe registered to Smith’s girlfriend. Video surveillance footage showed Smith purchasing gasoline and setting the car on fire shortly before it was discovered.
• After the robbery, both victims were taken to a nearby hospital. Rocky Kalisaran, died later that day of his gunshot injuries.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Selkowe, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau,prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Emily Santoro of the Felony Trials III Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney John Kosinski, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.