Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said today that two men have pleaded guilty to charges in the fatal shooting of a Maryland man, who was visiting relatives in Carteret when he was killed.
Daniel Gillens, 24, pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated manslaughter, admitting he fatally shot Deonte J. Shackleford, 26, of Baltimore, on April 5, 2013.
A co-defendant, Hakeem Mercer, 30, of Carteret, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiring to commit an aggravated assault upon the victim.
Gillens will be sentenced to up to 25 years in a New Jersey state prison and Mercer will serve 10 years.
In addition, they must each serve 85 percent of their prison terms before they can become eligible for parole.
The defendants pleaded guilty on May 11, 2016 during a hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Toto in New Brunswick.
The defendants were charged during an investigation by Sgt. Marcus Rosario of the Carteret Police Department and Detective Gregory Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation began when police, on routine patrol, heard gunshots fired in the Chrome section of Carteret at 7:24 p.m. on April 5, 2013.
Police arrived at the intersection of Pershing Avenue and Union Street to find Shackleford lying on the sidewalk at the intersection.
The victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, where he was pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m.Two men plead guilty to charges arising from homicide
Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey said today that two men have pleaded guilty to charges in the fatal shooting of a Maryland man, who was visiting relatives in Carteret when he was killed.
Daniel Gillens, 24, pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated manslaughter, admitting he fatally shot Deonte J. Shackleford, 26, of Baltimore, on April 5, 2013.
A co-defendant, Hakeem Mercer, 30, of Carteret, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiring to commit an aggravated assault upon the victim.
Gillens will be sentenced to up to 25 years in a New Jersey state prison and Mercer will serve 10 years.
In addition, they must each serve 85 percent of their prison terms before they can become eligible for parole.
The defendants pleaded guilty on May 11, 2016 during a hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Toto in New Brunswick.
The defendants were charged during an investigation by Sgt. Marcus Rosario of the Carteret Police Department and Detective Gregory Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation began when police, on routine patrol, heard gunshots fired in the Chrome section of Carteret at 7:24 p.m. on April 5, 2013.
Police arrived at the intersection of Pershing Avenue and Union Street to find Shackleford lying on the sidewalk at the intersection.
The victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, where he was pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m.