Defendant Admits Fatally Shooting City of Newburgh Man in November 2018

Two Others Admit Conspiring to Commit Robberies and Possess Handguns

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Dominique Williams, 25, of Newburgh, pleaded guilty before Orange County Court Judge William L. DeProspo to Manslaughter in the First Degree for the November 3, 2018 slaying of a Newburgh man at the corner of Liberty and Clinton Streets in the City of Newburgh. Dominique Williams’ identical twin brother, Devin Williams, 25, and Antwan Wakely, 29, both of Newburgh, who were charged in the same indictment, each pleaded guilty to felony charges of Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree and admitted engaging in a conspiracy to commit robberies and possess and share firearms in the City of Newburgh. The District Attorney’s Office will be recommending that each of the three defendants be sentenced to state prison.

On November 1, 2018, at approximately 12:17 AM, the City of Newburgh Police Department responded to reports of a shot fired on Liberty Street in the vicinity of a closed barber’s shop. During the investigation of that incident, police and Orange County District Attorney’s Office investigators recovered digital video evidence showing what appeared to a robbery at that location. Dominique Williams, Devin Williams and Antwan Wakely were subsequently charged by an Orange County Grand Jury with being complicit in that robbery. On November 3, 2018, Dominique Williams, and another man who had accompanied Dominique Williams, Devin Williams and Antwan Wakely on Liberty Street at the time of the November 1, 2018 incident, walked to the intersection of Clinton and Liberty Street and confronted a man, allegedly to rob him. An Orange County Grand Jury subsequently charged Dominique Williams with Robbery in the First Degree. During the confrontation unknown persons began firing at least two handguns in the general area of the alleged robbery, and Dominique Williams began firing a .32 caliber Walther semiautomatic handgun. One bullet from the Walther pistol struck the robbery victim in the head killing him. When Dominique Williams, and the man who had been with him at the November 1, 2018 incident on Liberty Street, ran away from Liberty and Clinton they were each shot. Dominique Williams was shot in the arm and the man that he was with died in the vicinity of where he was shot. (The investigation into who shot Dominique Williams and the man he was with is still ongoing.)

At the time that he pleaded guilty, Dominique Williams admitted that he had possessed the loaded Walther .32 at the intersection of Liberty and Clinton Street on November 3, 2018, and that he shot the man he had the confrontation with intending to cause him seriously physical injury, and that he in fact killed his victim. At the time that Devin Williams pleaded guilty on October 19, 2018, and Anwan Wakely pleaded guilty on October 14, 2018, they each admitted that between November 1, 2018 and December 27, 2018, they intended that conduct constituting the crimes of Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree be performed, and each admitted that they agreed with one or more persons, to engage in or cause the performance of those crimes. They each admitted that it was the object of the conspiracy to forcibly steal property while armed with pistols, and to possess and share pistols. They each admitted that on November 1, 2018, they went to 16 Liberty Street, the location of the closed barber shop, in furtherance of that conspiracy.

Dominique Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on December 21, 2021. Devin Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20, 2021. Antwan Wakely is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2021. All three defendants remain confined within the Orange County Jail.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of the defendants and the New York State Police Major Crimes Unit and Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center for their assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Borek.

“Two young men lost their lives in the City of Newburgh within minutes of each other on November 3, 2018, and others had their lives endangered by the those who possessed illegal guns while engaging in organized criminal activity,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “My deepest condolences go out to the families and loved one of those who lost their lives. I commend the police officers who regularly risk their lives to protect City of Newburgh residents. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, municipal officials and community residents to do everything in our power to reduce gun violence. Our city residents deserve to be free from the fear of gun violence.”

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.