By: Richard L. Smith
Three men stood before the court on Monday, August 28, 2023, in connection with a drive-by shooting incident in Atlantic City in August 2021.
Adresce Jones, 20, and Armaad Brooks-Chappelle, 21, both hailing from Atlantic City, NJ, received their sentences on charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of firearms, and related offenses.
Official said their combined penalties totaled ten years in the New Jersey State Prison, with 8 1⁄2 years of parole ineligibility.
Concurrent sentences on unrelated charges were also handed down, and upon release, they will undergo five years of intensive parole supervision.
A third individual, Quran Fenwick, 19, from Atlantic City, NJ, pleaded guilty for his part in the drive-by shooting. He faced charges of attempted murder and possession of an illegal handgun.
Despite being a juvenile at the time of the incident, Fenwick was treated as an adult for sentencing purposes.
His expected sentence is seven years in the New Jersey State Prison, with 85% parole ineligibility. Fenwick remains in custody, awaiting his sentencing scheduled for next month.
The Honorable Donna M. Taylor oversaw the court proceedings, J.S.C. None of the defendants had prior adult criminal records before pleading guilty.
In the early hours of August 21, 2021, Jones, Brooks-Chappelle, and Fenwick were in a stolen vehicle when they attacked the victim with gunfire in Atlantic City.
The victim sustained gunshot wounds but survived after receiving immediate medical attention. Witnesses and surveillance footage aided authorities in identifying and capturing the trio.
Ballistics analysis linked the handguns in the shooting to other gun-related crimes in Atlantic County.
Additionally, two other defendants, Faheem Harris and Beatrice Chappelle, admitted guilt in witness tampering related to the drive-by shooting.
Harris is set to receive a three-year sentence in the New Jersey State Prison, with his sentencing scheduled for September 18, 2023. Beatrice Chappelle, who happens to be Brooks-Chappelle's mother, has already been sentenced to five years of probation.
