NEW YORK, NY (PRESS RELEASE) – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Rayshawn Cherry, 28, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the shooting death of a man in St. Albans, Queens. The victim was gunned down following a foot chase upon leaving the home of the defendant’s girlfriend on June 11, 2021.
District Attorney Katz said, “My Office will continue to hold accountable those who choose to settle disputes with deadly weapons on our streets. This defendant pleaded guilty to manslaughter for causing the death of another individual last summer. He has now been sentenced to prison as punishment for his actions.”
Cherry, of Grove Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, pleaded guilty on July 13, 2022, before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant to manslaughter in the first degree. Justice Pandit-Durant imposed today’s sentence of 18 years in prison to be followed by 5 years post release supervision.
According to the charges, at approximately 10:45 p.m. on June 11th, Cherry followed the victim, Wayne Joseph, moments after the man exited a basement apartment on Quencer Road, where the defendant’s girlfriend resided. The defendant approached the victim and proceeded to chase the 29-year-old man around parked vehicles and past several homes while holding a firearm. Moments later, the defendant shot the victim in his torso and leg, fatally wounding him.