Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced Tuesday that Sincere Savoy was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his participation in the New Year’s Eve 2016 murder of Shamoya McKenzie and the affairs of the Goonies street gang. In September 2021, co-defendant David Hardy was sentenced to 31 years in prison for the murder of McKenzie and his participation in a 2012 shooting. In July 2021 and November 2021, co-defendants Marquis Collier and Jermaine Hughley, respectively, were each sentenced to 27 years in prison for their participation in the McKenzie murder and the affairs of the Goonies gang.
According to allegations in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Between 2007 and 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, Hardy, Collier, Hughley, and Savoy were members of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Goonies.” In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Goonies committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and firing them.
The Goonies were engaged in a long-standing and violent feud with several rival Mount Vernon street gangs, including, among others, the “Boss Playa Family,” the “Get Money Gangstas,” the “Gunnas,” and the “Much Better Gang”. On December 31, 2016, Hardy, Collier, Hughley and Savoy attempted to murder a rival gang member in broad daylight by firing multiple shots at him in the vicinity of Tecumseh Avenue and Third Street in Mount Vernon, New York. The rival gang member suffered gunshot wounds but survived. One of the bullets, however, missed the intended target and struck the head of 13-year old Shamoya McKenzie, who was in the front passenger seat of a passing car, which was being driven by her mother. Shamoya McKenzie died as a result.
HARDY, 27, pled guilty to one count of using a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering and one count of using a firearm in connection with an assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering for committing a separate shooting in 2012 in furtherance of the Goonies. He was sentenced to 372 months in prison.
COLLIER, 30, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 324 months in prison.
HUGHLEY, 28, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 324 months in prison.
SAVOY, 25, pled guilty to one count of using a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 264 months’ in prison.
“The last one got 22 years, it was a long time coming and today is my birthday and finally we got some justice,” Shamoya’s mother Nadine McKenzie shared with Black Westchester. “I just hope Mt. Vernon wouldn’t go through something like this again and I hope everyone can get involved in our youth and see what they are doing because so many times is after the fact, they are saying sorry if I did know that person was doing that or that person was involved when it is too late. We need to be our neighbor’s keeper at times. Too many killings going on in the black communities and no one to help stop it. The great thing about Shamoya death it is helping a lot in Mt Vernon to see what was going on for so long without getting the help they are getting now. I wish it didn’t happen this way for Mt Vernon to realize it was too many killings going on. I thank everyone for the love and support and hope Mt Vernon be a better community.”
Mr. Williams thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their extraordinary cooperation and assistance with this case, and praised the outstanding investigative work of the Mount Vernon Police Department and the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force which includes Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DA’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Rockland County DA’s Office, the NYPD and the Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Greenburgh, New Rochelle, White Plains, Clarkstown and Ramapo Police Departments.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Anden Chow is in charge of the prosecution.
While nothing can bring her daughter back, justice and accountability are pretty good gifts for Nadine Mckenzie’s birthday, with all the murders that go unsolved these days.
