A failed ambush in Ozone Park ended with the gunman fatally shooting his own accomplice and seriously wounding two intended targets, prosecutors said.
QUEENS, NY — A Queens man who fatally shot his own accomplice during a gunfire exchange in Ozone Park has been sentenced to 55 years to life in prison, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Richard Dixon, 35, of Laurelton, was sentenced Tuesday after a jury convicted him in May of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, June 19, in a parking lot off Cross Bay Boulevard in Ozone Park.
Prosecutors said Dixon and his accomplice, 38-year-old Raymond Francis, approached two men who had just left a party and were waiting beside their vehicles.
Authorities said Dixon was armed with an AR-style rifle while Francis carried a .40-caliber handgun.
According to trial testimony, Dixon shot one of the intended victims in the face, causing devastating injuries that removed approximately half of the victim’s jaw. Prosecutors said Dixon continued firing as the wounded man crawled behind a vehicle.
The second intended victim drew a legally registered 9 mm pistol and returned fire.
During the exchange, prosecutors said Dixon fired another shot toward that victim but instead struck Francis in the abdomen.
Francis was found collapsed on top of his handgun and later died at a hospital.
The two intended victims survived after being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
Prosecutors said Dixon fled the scene in a vehicle registered to his wife before seeking treatment at a Nassau County hospital for multiple gunshot wounds.
Authorities said Dixon initially claimed he had been shot in Baisley Pond Park, but investigators determined no shooting had occurred there. During a subsequent interview, prosecutors said Dixon admitted he had been shot in Ozone Park.
Investigators later linked Dixon to the shooting through cellphone evidence, his vehicle, and DNA recovered from a backpack left at the scene.
Queens Acting Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris sentenced Dixon to 25 years to life for murder and two consecutive 15-year sentences for the attempted murder convictions, resulting in a total sentence of 55 years to life.
Key Points
- Richard Dixon was sentenced to 55 years to life for the fatal shooting of his accomplice during a Queens ambush.
- Prosecutors said Dixon accidentally shot Raymond Francis while firing at one of two intended victims.
- Two other men survived the attack after suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
