Gang Member Sentenced to 40 Years for Double Murder in Robbery

Lameek Everette sentenced to 40 years for the 2016 murders of David Arzu and Janelle Curella during a robbery.Photo byTim PhotoguyonUnsplash

Lameek Everette, also known as “La,” a member of the Bloods street gang, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for racketeering, including acts of murder, robbery, and attempted robbery, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York announced today.

The charges stem from Everette’s involvement in the September 2, 2016 murders of David Arzu and Janelle Curella, both of whom were fatally shot by Everette during a robbery as they walked toward the Long Island Rail Road train station in Bay Shore, New York, according to the department.

“What started out as a robbery turned into a double murder, with the defendant pulling the trigger over and over to kill his victims simply because they resisted a holdup. Today the defendant faced a reckoning for the devastating harm he has caused,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in a statement.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on the night of the murders, Arzu, Curella, and two friends were walking to the Bay Shore station when Everette and another Bloods member ambushed them, the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed.

The department stated that the assailants had planned to rob the group at gunpoint and were waiting for their victims.

When Arzu resisted their demands for money and valuables, a struggle ensued, according to the department.

As Curella attempted to assist Arzu, Everette shot and killed her before turning the gun on Arzu, firing multiple times and killing him as well, the department said.

Following the murders, Everette posted photos on Facebook flaunting hand signs signifying his affiliation with the Bloods gang. He was also seen wearing a necklace stolen from Arzu during the robbery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.

“Gang members' violent choices will not go unpunished in our district. The substantial sentence handed down today provides some measure of justice following the defendant’s senseless murder of a young man and woman whose families still grieve for the loss of their loved ones,” Peace added.