Bloods Gang Leader Receives 37-Year Prison Sentence for McDonald's Drive-Thru Murder-for-Hire Plot

 Brooklyn, NY - Bushawn Shelton, a key figure in the Bloods gang, has been sentenced to 37 years in federal prison for orchestrating the murder-for-hire of Sylvester Zottola and the attempted murder of Salvatore Zottola. The sentencing, delivered by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez, follows Shelton's guilty plea on August 22, 2022, to charges of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy.

Anthony Zottola and Himen Ross, Shelton's co-defendants, received life sentences after being found guilty at trial. Co-defendants Herman Blanco, Arthur Codner, Jason Cummings, and Branden Peterson, who had previously pleaded guilty, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms ranging from 16 to 22 years.

The sentence was announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office. Peace emphasized the defendant's role in a year-long spree of violence, stating, "For more than a year, the defendant led the charge in stalking, beating, stabbing, and eventually shooting an elderly man purely for money."

During the trial of Shelton's co-conspirators, evidence revealed that Anthony Zottola Sr. had hired Shelton to kill his father, Sylvester, and his brother, Salvatore. Shelton enlisted several individuals to carry out the murders, resulting in a series of violent attacks targeting the Zottola family. Sylvester Zottola survived an invasion of his residence in December 2017, where he was beaten, stabbed, and had his throat slashed. On July 11, 2018, Salvatore Zottola was shot multiple times in front of his home but survived.

To execute the fatal attack on Sylvester Zottola, Shelton ensured that a tracking device was placed on his car. Co-defendant Himen Ross, also a Bloods gang member, used the device to locate Zottola at a McDonald's drive-thru on Webster Avenue. There, Ross shot Zottola multiple times while he waited for his coffee. Shelton and Ross exchanged text messages immediately after the hit, informing Anthony Zottola of his father's murder. Shelton texted Anthony, "Can we party today or tomorrow?" to which Anthony replied, "I have the cases of water in a day or so," referring to Shelton's payment. Incriminating evidence recovered from Shelton's phone included a photo of bottled water and over $200,000 in cash.

The prosecution of the case is being led by the Office's Organized Crime and Gangs Section, with Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla C. Bensing, Emily J. Dean, Devon Lash, and Andrew M. Roddin at the helm. The government was also aided by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris in matters of forfeiture.

Defendant: Name: Bushawn Shelton (aka "Shellz") Age: 39 Residence: Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-609 (S-3) (HG)