Pomona, NY – Two Nyack men have been charged in federal court with murder, robbery and firearms offenses stemming from the fatal shooting of a Pomona resident more than three years ago.
Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday, Oct. 6, that Jaquey Wilkes, 29, also known as “BQ,” and Tyrone Stewart, 35, also known as “Ty,” were indicted in connection with the March 5, 2023 death of Eric Quinones, 33. A third defendant, Leroy Simpson, 33, of Pomona, also known as “Unc,” faces a narcotics conspiracy charge related to events that authorities say occurred before the shooting.
The shooting took place at the Manors Apartments on Route 202 in Pomona. According to information released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, prosecutors allege that Wilkes and Stewart confronted Quinones at gunpoint during a planned drug transaction.
Federal authorities allege the two men robbed Quinones of narcotics and a firearm and shot him during the encounter. Prosecutors contend that Simpson helped arrange the drug transaction that preceded the alleged robbery.
When the shooting occurred in March 2023, Haverstraw police responded to reports of gunfire at the apartment complex at approximately 7 p.m. Officers found Quinones in the parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police provided medical assistance before he was transported to Nyack Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to information reported at the time by Daily Voice and News 12.
No arrest was announced immediately following the shooting, and the investigation continued for more than three years.
The federal indictment was unsealed on Oct. 6. Wilkes, Stewart and Simpson appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik, and the case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.
Wilkes and Stewart are each charged with Hobbs Act robbery, firearms use, carrying and possession, and murder through the use of a firearm.
The Hobbs Act robbery charge carries a maximum federal prison sentence of 20 years. The firearms charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The firearm-related murder charge carries a potential maximum punishment of life imprisonment or death.
All three defendants are also charged with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Any sentence would ultimately be determined by a federal judge if a defendant is convicted.
Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould Jr. said in a statement released following the indictment that investigators continued working on the case over the more than three years since Quinones was killed. Gould credited cooperation among local, county and federal agencies with helping advance the investigation. His comments were also reported by local outlets including Patch.
The investigation involved the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and the Orangetown Police Department. The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Wheelock and Ioannis Drivas of the Southern District of New York’s White Plains Division are handling the federal prosecution.
The charges contained in the indictment are accusations. Wilkes, Stewart and Simpson are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.