LI Man Sentenced To 25 Years To Life After Shooting: DA

RIVERHEAD, NY — A prior "violent felon" from Riverhead was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years to life in prison for his involvement in a May, 2022 shooting that took place while he was on parole release from prison on a separate charge, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Messiah Booker, also known as Matthew Booker, 38, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of his involvement in the shooting, Tierney said.

The evidence at trial established that on May 20, 2022, Booker got into a verbal dispute with a teenager in the parking lot area of an apartment complex in downtown Riverhead, Tierney said. As the argument escalated, Booker threatened to shoot the juvenile, and then briefly entered his black Jeep Compass before returning with a loaded gun in a fanny pack, Tierney said. Booker then began to pull the gun from the fanny pack, causing the juvenile to flee for his life, the DA said.

The juvenile's family arrived at the apartment complex shortly thereafter, at about 3:50 p.m.,
and Booker began to argue with them; during the argument, a large crowd gathered in front of the building, Tierney said. Booker went back to his Jeep, retrieved the same loaded firearm from earlier, and shot at one of the people in the crowd, the DA said.

The bullet ricocheted off the ground and struck another person in the forearm, the DA said. Booker then fled the scene on foot, Tierney added.

Riverhead Town Police Department officers responded to the scene and located a 9 mm shell casing from the shooting; Booker’s Jeep Compass, which was still at the scene, was impounded and a search of its contents was conducted pursuant to a search warrant, the DA said.

During the search, law enforcement recovered drugs including cocaine and morphine, more than $1,000 in small denomination bills, four cellular phones, walkie-talkies, a tactical vest, 9 mm ammunition, a digital scale typically used to weigh narcotics, and drug packaging material including glassine envelopes, Tierney said.

Law enforcement tracked Booker’s movements with assistance from the United States Marshals
Service, and he was apprehended days later and placed under arrest, Tierney said.

On Tuesday Booker was convicted after a jury trial heard before Acting Supreme Court
Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr. on the following charges, Tierney said.

- Two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, Class C violent felonies;

- Two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance: with the
intent to sell, Class D felonies;

- Two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession, misdemeanors;

- One count of second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor; and

- One count of second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor.

Prior to the incident, Booker had five felony convictions, two of which were violent felonies, Tierney said. In particular, Booker was convicted in 2017 of second-degree attempted burglary, a Class D violent felony, for his role in a 2013 home-invasion burglary that left Demitri Hampton, 21, dead, the DA said. Booker was released to parole supervision in 2019 and was still on parole for that conviction at the time of the new incident, Tierney said.

Justice Senft sentenced Booker to 25 years to life in prison; he was represented by Ian Fitzgerald, who did not immediately return a request for comment.

"With this sentence, we want the public to know that we are holding perpetrators of violence accountable," said Tierney. "This happened in broad daylight in the parking lot of an apartment complex full of people. Violence will not be tolerated in Suffolk County."