Jerome Waters, known as “the Engineer,” along with accomplices Calvin Israel and William Barnett, were indicted in federal court in Brooklyn for their alleged involvement in a harrowing kidnapping, robbery, and fatal shooting that unfolded in Queens on July 25, 2024.

According to court filings, the trio is linked to a Baltimore-based crew that conspired to target marijuana dealers in the area.

The indictment reveals that on the night of July 24 and into the early hours of July 25, they made the journey from Maryland to New York City with the intent to execute an armed robbery and kidnapping.

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The chilling details continue as Waters and Barnett met the dealers at a stash house in Queens, under the pretense of purchasing marijuana. In a sudden act of violence, they brandished firearms and summoned their accomplices into the stash house to assist in the illicit operation.

“The crew tied their victims up with zip ties, forced them outside, and into the back of a Jeep and a U-Haul van at gunpoint,” the indictment states, detailing how they stole 30 pounds of marijuana from the stash house.

As the terrifying ordeal unfolded, the crew drove the victims, still bound and terrified, through Queens while demanding drugs and money.

In a particularly heinous act, Calvin Israel drove the U-Haul van containing one of the dealers, who tragically met a gruesome fate—shot multiple times in the head while still restrained by a zip tie and surrounded by bags of marijuana.

After the shocking shooting, the defendants made their escape back to Maryland, leaving behind a scene filled with horror.

If convicted, Waters, Israel, and Barnett each face mandatory life sentences in prison, underscoring the severity of their alleged crimes and the violent nature of their actions.