Man Convicted Of Killing An Unarmed Stranger On E. 23rd Street

A 22-year-old man has been convicted of shooting and killing an unarmed stranger after an argument at a neighborhood deli in March 2013 and could spend the rest of his life in prison once he’s sentenced, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said today.

Justin Sarkodie, who lived on Ocean Avenue, was convicted Thursday of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for killing Farrell Nestor, 28,

Sarkodie and another man had been arguing at a deli located at the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Ditmas Avenue when Sarkodie threw a bottle that struck Nestor, prompting the two men to get into a physical fight, the district attorney said. Following the altercation, Sarkodie called a friend, who brought a gun to the location, and they followed Nestor to 23rd Street, where one of Nestor’s friends lived, the DA said. The defendant then shot Nestor, who was not armed, four times in a sixth floor hallway, according to Thompson.

“This defendant shot and killed an innocent man for no reason other than a bruised ego,” Thompson said in statement to the press. “The victim in this case never had a chance. This defendant has now been held accountable for his actions and faces a lengthy prison term at sentencing.”

When Sarkodie is sentenced on February 5, he faces 25 years to life in prison, the DA said.