In the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, 37-year-old Money Perkins, a beloved father of three and the owner of a local laundromat, was fatally shot on the evening of December 1, 2023. The attack, which was captured on surveillance video, showed four armed individuals entering his business, Money P. Clean, on Clarendon Road. Perkins was ambushed and shot 13 times in the head, torso, and leg.
After he was on the ground, one of the assailants slammed his head on the floor multiple times before stealing a gold chain valued at over $30,000 from his neck. Perkins was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation into the murder revealed a sinister plot allegedly orchestrated by Perkins' own cousin, 46-year-old Ronnie Butler. Authorities believe a long-running dispute, which intensified after Perkins opened his laundromat in 2022, led Butler to plan the killing. Butler allegedly enlisted the help of his friend, 48-year-old Luis Mercado, who in turn is said to have recruited his 16-year-old stepson, Zecharyah Slay, along with 19-year-old Shaleek Riddick and 20-year-old Diante Stinson, to carry out the attack. The younger men were reportedly offered money for their participation. Digital communications and video from Mercado's home were key pieces of evidence that helped investigators unravel the conspiracy.
In the wake of the investigation, all five individuals were arrested and indicted on a range of charges, including murder, robbery, conspiracy, and weapon possession. Ronnie Butler, Luis Mercado, Zecharyah Slay, Shaleek Riddick, and Diante Stinson, all from Far Rockaway, Queens, were ordered to be held without bail. The case is being prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Homicide Bureau. The brutal nature of the crime and the alleged involvement of a family member sent shockwaves through the East Flatbush community, where Perkins was known for his kindness and entrepreneurial spirit.
