On a Friday afternoon in Freeport, New York, 28-year-old James Diamond, a tradesman and aspiring musician, was fatally shot in a brazen robbery. The tragic events of September 10, 2021, unfolded shortly after Diamond had collected a $55,000 settlement check from a lawsuit. An acquaintance, Corey Grier, was aware that Diamond would be in possession of a large amount of cash that day.
Grier lured Diamond and a friend to South Bay Avenue in Freeport after they had cashed the check. While Diamond and his friend briefly left to try and deposit the money at a nearby bank, Grier coordinated with his accomplices. When Diamond returned, he was ambushed at gunpoint by Eric Baldwin and Akeem Chambers. A struggle over the bag of money ensued, during which Baldwin shot Diamond once in the abdomen. Baldwin then fled with the cash. James Diamond was rushed to South Nassau Communities Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation by the Nassau County Police Department led to the arrests of several individuals. Eric Baldwin and Corey Grier were arrested on November 3, 2021. Todd Brant and Anyibel Madera were also taken into custody in connection with the crime. A fifth individual, Akeem Chambers, was also charged.
Eric Baldwin, the shooter, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and robbery and was sentenced to 23 years to life in prison. Corey Grier, who orchestrated the deadly setup, pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision. Todd Brant was awaiting trial on murder and robbery charges. Akeem Chambers faced federal charges including felony murder in the commission of a robbery. Anyibel Madera was charged with conspiracy and criminal facilitation for her role.
