Brooklyn man sentenced to life for murderous Morgan Avenue rampage

April 25, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Photo by Mary Altaffer/AP

Share this:

Ramel Chapman, 32, was slammed with a life sentence without parole after a deadly robbery spree in East Williamsburg that killed one man and injured another. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Eugene Guarino dished out the harsh sentence following Chapman’s conviction on charges including first-degree murder and armed robbery.

“This was a vicious crime spree that left a trail of terror and trauma to multiple victims, including a father of three who did not survive being shot by the defendant,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “With today’s sentence, the defendant has been held accountable for his actions. We will never tolerate such violence in Brooklyn.”

On June 13, 2021, at around 12:39 a.m. in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Ramel Chapman targeted Sean Robinson, 33, from Stamford, Connecticut, and his friend shortly after they had left a party. As Robinson sat in his Ford Mustang convertible, Chapman approached, brandishing a 9-millimeter handgun, and demanded their possessions.

After shooting Robinson in the chest and fatally wounding him, Chapman robbed him of two gold chains. He then assaulted Robinson’s friend, who was on the other side of the car, pistol-whipping him and stealing a gold chain.

Chapman’s crime spree continued as he confronted a third individual near the corner of Stagg Street and Morgan Avenue, threatening him and subsequently stealing money, marijuana, and vehicle keys from his Dodge.

He then moved on to The Anchored Inn, a bar three blocks away, where he was recorded examining the items he had stolen. After leaving the bar, surveillance tracked Chapman taking a Lyft back to his home in Boerum Hill.

Robinson, who was engaged and a father of three, succumbed to his injuries at Woodhull Medical Center. A bullet had pierced his rib cage and right lung, ultimately penetrating his heart and lodging in his spine. Chapman, who was on parole at the time, was identified through surveillance footage from his parole officers and was arrested on July 27, 2021.