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Kew Gardens Hills Resident Sentenced to 24 Years to Life, Killed Man in Botched Robbery Attempt

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Dec. 8, 2017 By Christian Murray

A Kew Gardens Hills man who botched an armed robbery and fatally shot the victim was sentenced to 24-years to life in prison, the Queens District Attorney announced Thursday.

Russhawn Lindsay, 36, was found guilty last month of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Lindsay conspired with the girlfriend of the victim, Michael Jonathan, and another unapprehended person to have Lindsay robbed, according to the charges.

On March 26, 2015 Lindsay confronted Jonathan, 33, in Jamaica, Queens with a gun and demanded cash. Jonathan refused and a struggle ensued that led to Lindsay fatally shooting Jonathan in the stomach.

The victim’s girlfriend has been indicted and her case is pending, according to prosecutors.

“A jury weighed all the evidence and found the defendant guilty of multiple crimes, including murder,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.

“This was a senseless act of violence. The defendant – driven by greed and avarice – thought he had an easy robbery target. Instead, a tense confrontation escalated into a needless shooting with an innocent man dead. The defendant now faces a lengthy term of incarceration.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
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