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Illegal gambling hall botched robbery occurred in October of 2020
Charles Powell, also known as “Payback,” and Musah Coward, also known as “General Mecka,” “Red” and “General Red,” were each sentenced
Sentences ranged from 42 to 45 years
Three individuals were sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn Thursday for the murder of a security guard at a Brooklyn gambling hall. Three others were wounded during the botched October 7, 2020 robbery.
Charles Powell, also known as “Payback,” and Musah Coward, also known as “General Mecka,” “Red” and “General Red,” were sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee for the firearm-related murder of Rodney Maxwell, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and Hobbs Act robbery. Powell and Coward were sentenced to 42 years’ imprisonment and 45 years’ imprisonment respectively. Co-defendant Brian Castro, also known as “Morenaje,” was previously sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment by Judge Komitee in December 2025. The defendants were convicted in January 2025 following a three-week trial. As part of their sentences, the defendants were also ordered to pay restitution, including in the amount of $26,730 to Maxwell’s daughter.
“This was a senseless, premediated, and brutal act of gun violence that took the life of a security guard who was simply doing his job,” United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella said. “Today’s sentencings severely punish the defendants for this cold-blooded killing, and will protect the community from them for many years. It is my sincere hope these sentencings will bring some relief to the family of the victim.”
"These defendants brutally murdered a security guard, a father of three children, during an armed robbery. May today’s significant sentences reflect the FBI Safe Streets Task Force’s commitment to working with our local law enforcement partners to crush violent crime and protect New Yorkers from senseless violence," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle.
“The defendants in this case orchestrated an armed robbery that resulted in one man’s death and three other victims being shot,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “They showed a complete disregard for human life, and these sentencings reflect the severity and shocking brutality of their crimes. I thank the NYPD detectives, our partners at the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their hard work to deliver justice in this case.”
As proven at trial, Powell, Castro and Coward planned and carried out an armed robbery of an illegal gambling location in Brownsville.
Coward drove the co-defendants from New Jersey, and Powell and Castro entered the location while Coward waited outside in the car.
During the robbery, Powell and Castro each shot Rodney Maxwell, the father of three children, who had been providing security for the location and was also a longtime employee at Bellevue Hospital. Castro shot Maxwell once at close range in the back with a 9-millimeter pistol and Powell also shot him once at close range in the chest with a .380 caliber pistol. Maxwell later died from his gunshot wounds. Powell also fired into a crowd of individuals at the location as they desperately attempted to escape the violence. Three additional victims were shot that evening, all of whom survived their wounds.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
