Kenwood Allen: Drug gang member targetting NYC clubgoers charged with murder for two overdose deaths
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: A member of the ruthless drug and robbery gang in Manhattan targetting partygoers, including gay bar clubs, was busted and criminally charged over two drug overdose deaths, police said on December 22, 2022. With at least 26 physical attacks since March 2022, Kenwood Allen, 33, is allegedly part of a violent crew that has been drugging and robbing intoxicated revelers.
At a press conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said, “They target their victims leaving bars, offering drugs in some cases, then either through force or when the victim passes out, they remove jewelry, money, high-end watches and phones from their victims.” Cops pointed out that the crimes committed, two crimes turned fatal when two of the overdosed victims died.
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With 17 arrests logged, Allen reportedly is criminally charged with the deaths of Turbo Shera, 29, and Ardijan Berisha, 26, at a club on Seventh street. Essig stated. “We don’t particularly think that they’re targeting gay members. This is based solely on monetary gain,” Essig said, according to the New York Post.
The officer said that the 33-year-old was charged by a Manhattan grand jury last week on the deaths, as well as two counts of robbery and one count of assault in the robbery spree. A second suspect, whose name is not yet revealed, is also involved and the police have arrested the person.
At least five members of the crew have been identified and the probe into the case is still underway, Essig said. According to the news outlet, a gang of robbers targeting gay nightclubs terrorized Hell’s Kitchen and immediate surrounding areas through their fatal game.
NYPD Lt Dave Leonardo informed that they "believe that the perpetrators are targeting individuals that are coming out of the bars late at night because they’re intoxicated," and they’re approaching them offering them narcotics.”
“At this point, based on our lab investigation, it looks like our narcotic is laced with multiple narcotics that were purchased over the black web, and then made into a cocktail. It was a mix of lidocaine, fentanyl, cocaine, and we believe the lidocaine really had the effect of incapacitating these people to the point where like the chief mentioned,” he said, pointing out that the drugs take effect "almost immediately"
According to the New York Post, Manhattan prosecutors said that Allen of the Bronx was indicted with two counts of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of second-degree robbery, and two counts of second-degree assault.
Timothy Pruitt, Allen’s lawyer, said that the suspect works as a barber in the Bronx. The accused is expected to appear in court again on February 16 and is currently held without bail, as per Judge Felicia Mennin's order.