30 Years For Bloods Gang Member In Nearly 20-Year-Old Cold Case Murder Of Bellport Teen: Feds

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Bloods street gang member was sentenced 30 years in prison for his role as the shooter who gunned down a 15-year-old in Bellport 18 years ago, the U.S. Attorney's office said Thursday.

Trendell Walker, a 34-year-old former Riverhead resident also known as “Live Wire” and “Debo,” pleaded guilty to firearm-related murder in August 2019 for the murder of Alvin Brothers back in 2019, according to the office.

Patch has reached out to his defense attorney, Kevin Keating of Garden City, for comment.

In 2007, Walker, who was around 16 and a member of the Rolling 20s gang, a branch of the Bloods, went to Bellport to purchase narcotics from G-Shine gang members, a different set of the Bloods, and several members attacked him, trying to rob him, and pistol-whipped him, according to prosecutors.

The next day, Walker met with fellow Rolling 20s gang members and devised a plan to retaliate against his attackers, and they drove to Bellport, armed with firearms, where they saw several young people, including Brothers, standing on the corner of Post Avenue and Patchogue Avenue, prosecutors said.

Brothers was standing near one of his attackers the previous day, and he other Rolling 20s' members opened fire on the group, with Brothers being fatally shot in the back, according to prosecutors.

Walker was indicted on drug charges in June 2016, and in November 2017, he was charged in a second superseding indictment with Brothers’ murder, more than a decade after the killing.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District Joseph Nocella called Walker's actions "lethal," and added that "the resolve of law enforcement" to bring Brothers’ killer "to justice and members hope will bring "some semblance of closure to the victim’s parents and siblings."

"Gang members cannot escape the reality of today’s sentencing that no matter how long it takes, they will be held accountable for crimes of violence and the rule of law will prevail," he added.

Walker "mercilessly" killed Brothers "in retaliation for a previous slight against his branch of the Bloods gang,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director-in-Charge Christopher Raia. “This horrific act demonstrates the gang’s callous attitude towards humanity and the law by deeming murder as acceptable payback."

"May today’s sentencing offer some justice for Brothers’ family, and emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding all gang members accountable for their lawless crimes, regardless of when they occurred," he added.

Homeland Security Investigations - New York Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky Patel said that Walker’s sentencing "ensures the removal of another cold-blooded killer from the streets of Long Island."

"With the continued investigative work of HSI New York’s Long Island office, alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to combat these senseless acts of violence here on the island and throughout the state," he said. "The people of New York deserve to feel safe in their own communities, and today’s sentencing is a step toward securing that reality."

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina called Brothers' murder "a sad example of the senseless retaliation that comes from the vicious cycle of gang violence."

“This case also highlights the unwavering dedication of law enforcement to bring a killer to justice," he said. "A decade after Alvin Brothers was slain in a drive-by shooting, Trendell Walker was charged, and today he learned his fate, sending a message to those who choose a life of crime that we will never give up.”