Leader of Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering and the Murder of a Former Government Witness

Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Maliek Miller, a leader of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses (Pink Houses) in East New York, Brooklyn, was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Miller was convicted in June 2024 following a jury trial of murder in-aid-of-racketeering for the murder of former federal witness Shatavia Walls in July 2020 and related crimes, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in-aid-of racketeering, unlawful use and possession of firearms, being a felon in possession of ammunition and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.

"It is our hope that today's sentence brings some solace to the family of Shatavia Walls for her senseless murder," stated United States Attorney Nocella. "For his brutal crimes of conviction, Miller will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison."

"Today's sentence is the product of close collaboration between the Metro Safe Streets Task Force and our partners at the NYPD and the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York to hold violent offenders accountable. While nothing can undo the loss of Shatavia Wells, this outcome ensures Miller is held fully accountable for his crimes. Dismantling violent gangs remains a priority for the FBI as we work to safeguard communities from their ruthless violence," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

"Maliek Miller, a leader of the Ninedee Gang, orchestrated the murder of Shatavia Walls for daring to cross him," said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. "With today's life sentence, this defendant will never again threaten our communities, and the streets of East New York are safer because of it. I thank our investigators, partners at the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York for their work to hold this criminal. The NYPD will continue to break up violent gangs, take guns off our streets, and keep our communities safe, and cases like this are a reminder of the significance of that work."

As proved at trial, Miller was a leader of Ninedee Gang, a violent gang affiliated with the "5" and "6" Pink Houses apartment buildings that engaged in ongoing gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex. The Ninedee Gang's main rivalry, dating back over a decade, was against a rival gang operating in the "7" and "8" buildings in the Pink Houses. Ninedee Gang protected its turf from rival gang members through violence and sought to silence anyone perceived to be working with law enforcement. Miller and other Ninedee Gang members planned the murder of Shatavia Walls because she had previously testified at a federal criminal trial against a Ninedee member in the Eastern District of New York.

In June 2019, Walls testified for the government during United States v. Boykins, 18-CR-338 (ERK), a federal criminal trial in the Eastern District of New York. Shakeem Boykins, the defendant in that trial, was a Ninedee gang member charged with being a felon in passion of a firearm in connection with shooting Walls at the Pink Houses in 2017. Boykins was convicted at trial and sentenced to 110 months' imprisonment. Prior to Boykins's trial, posters were placed around the Pink Houses that stated: "Shatavia Been a Rat And She Still Ratting." After the trial, Walls became a high-value target for the Ninedee Gang, as they held her responsible for Boykins' incarceration.

On July 4, 2020, Walls and others were involved in a physical altercation with members of Ninedee, including Miller's cousin, for lighting fireworks around young children. Miller went to the scene of the altercation, called Walls a "snitch," fought with Walls and fired a shot in the air. Following the altercation, Miller agreed with other Ninedee Gang members to kill Walls and set a plan to do so in motion.

On July 7, 2020, Walls was spotted by a Ninedee Gang hit team, who chased her down a path at the Pink Houses. She was shot numerous times by Ninedee Gang members Quintin Green and Joe Santana. Ninedee Gang member Shakur Bey destroyed the clothing that Green and Santana wore during the shooting by throwing the items down an incinerator chute. Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint, who was not present at the murder, rented a hotel room at a Best Western Hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport to provide a place where the shooters could hide out overnight. Walls died of her injuries ten days later. After Walls died, Miller and Wint texted each other about celebrating with champagne.

Miller's co-defendants pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder and were sentenced to terms of incarceration as follows: Green was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment; Santana was sentenced to 264 months' imprisonment; Wint was sentenced to 110 months' imprisonment; and Bey was sentenced to 60 months' imprisonment.

The government's case is being handled by Office's Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Intelligence Analyst Eungee Hwang and Intelligence Specialist Ashley Hinkson. Former Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed also provided assistance with the case.

The Defendant:

MALIEK MILLER
Age: 33
Brooklyn, New York

Defendants Who Were Previously Sentenced:

SHAKUR BEY (also known as "Speedy")
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New York

QUINTIN GREEN (also known as "Wild Child")
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New York

JOE SANTANA (also known as "Baby Joe")
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New York

KEVIN WINT (also known as "Kev G")
Age: 33
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)