July 7, 2025 • 43 mins
Darnell Tomlin’s story is one of loss, lessons, and leadership.
Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Darnell found himself pulled into the streets early. At just 21, he was falsely accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit a decision that stole 19½ years of his life. Gang affiliation and association put a target on his back, but it was the system that ultimately took him away.
Now, after 5 years home, Darnell is a motivational speaker, mentor, father, and aspiring entrepreneur, using his experiences to pour into the next generation. He’s on a mission to reach the youth before the streets do, and his message is rooted in accountability, peer pressure, and self-respect lessons he had to learn the hard way.
In this powerful episode of Dog in the Yard, Darnell opens up about what it really means to grow up in an environment that sets you up to fail, and how he used time in a cell to transform his mindset, reclaim his purpose, and build a new future.
Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Darnell found himself pulled into the streets early. At just 21, he was falsely accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit a decision that stole 19½ years of his life. Gang affiliation and association put a target on his back, but it was the system that ultimately took him away.
Now, after 5 years home, Darnell is a motivational speaker, mentor, father, and aspiring entrepreneur, using his experiences to pour into the next generation. He’s on a mission to reach the youth before the streets do, and his message is rooted in accountability, peer pressure, and self-respect lessons he had to learn the hard way.
In this powerful episode of Dog in the Yard, Darnell opens up about what it really means to grow up in an environment that sets you up to fail, and how he used time in a cell to transform his mindset, reclaim his purpose, and build a new future.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Himself.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That'll be Hope a South darks A over your mouth, right, gulous.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Clear, that's right?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Whatever? What else? You already know your boy pistol people
walking back the dog in the yard? Today we got
down now in the building. Down now. Did nineteen years
and a half for a crime he didn't commit at
the age of twenty one. He's been home five years now.
Today he's a motivated speaker, you know, because his affiliation
(01:52):
and down with gangs and all that led to his incarceration.
So today he's on a different path. And with all
that being said, let's get right to it. You already
know boy PRIs Pete dog in New York? What up?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
What up?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
What you know? Is your boy prisdal Pete walking back
to dog in New York. And today we got down
there in the building from Brooklyn, Brooklyn. What's good? Bushwood
in the building. What's up? Man? Shout out to Brooklyn.
What's up? Brother? How you been?
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
What's going on? Man? How's everything going?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Everything's good? Everything's good, man, everything good?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Man, I'm blast how long you been home?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Going on six years in September?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Good? All right, every right, So tell us a little
bit of uh your background a little bit, you know,
your upbringing. Those that are not know don Yell you.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Know, like I said, her name is Donelle Tomlin Manon
in Brooklyn and the state ass Peter Rab you know
what I mean. But everybody call me Rab and stuff.
So you know, I grew up like any other kid.
I grew up with both parents in the household. Early on,
I had my mother, She was like, you know, the
spiritual guidance, the disciplinarian. My father was the athlete, you
(02:59):
know what I mean, man in the house. So I
kind of had like I was blessing til I didn't
know until they broke up, probably the age of twelve.
And then you know, I started a lot of idle time,
you know what I mean. So I started, you know,
my hanging out of my neighborhood after school programs and
seeing no people that I normally didn't see in my
(03:21):
in my past, you know, pathways and stuff because I
had I didn't have idle time. But like I said,
I started seeing the guys and stuff, you know, the.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Change on the jewelry.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
The girls attracted them, so you know, I thought I
was handsome and a pretty boy or whatever. So I
wanted the girls, but the girls like the bad boys.
So that led me to a bad road.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Okay, Yeah, once your parents broke up, you started being
outside a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Right, all right, Right, I started, you know, hanging out.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Like I said, I started getting a lot of detention
time because I was acting up, figuring out would be
a way to pull them back in, because like so,
I was probably the happiest person going to the tention.
I said that maybe it's my fault. Maybe I was
and spiritual enough, you know what I mean. On my
mother's side, maybe I wasn't as good as an athlete,
or my father not the child. Pretend to blame myself
sometime for our parents, you know, miscues or whatever. So
(04:10):
I said, think if I act them in school, they
got to come back together and see what they're doing
is not working, and then you know, we can get
back together as a unity. But I just accumulated more
more detention time and like time going to school with
a lot of real bad kids now and we started
hanging out.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, started making friends with all the bad people, all
the kids that's getting in trouble.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And all that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That's how it usually is anywhere. You know, you out
there and you you from you know, you out there
from the hood and all that. So there's nothing else
out there but just you know, guys hanging out trying
to figure it out what to get into, especially at
a young age. All right, you know what age is this?
Speaker 5 (04:48):
So this is about twelve thirteen, So it's like my
last year in junior high school, going into and going
into high school. So when I really started being outside
and really at my surroundings, and like I say, I
didn't know how blessed I was until I went out,
started going to my other friends house, single parents, no father.
You know, I thought everybody lived like me. The Cosby Show,
(05:10):
you know, the Huxtables had the mother far out of
know until like I said, I started.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Hanging out with, you know, the unfortunate guys that didn't.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Right then you started seeing that got you. When when
did you actually start getting in trouble jail police, I was.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Tired to be about fifteen sixteen.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
You know, started you know, selling drugs, started selling stealing
and you know, taking stuff to the corner stores and
selling it to them. So I've been locked up for loitering,
hopping the train, the sly conduct. So you was just
out of control, right, you know, it was just going
through the system and coming back, you know what I mean.
(05:51):
So you have siblings, you have to have five sisters
and one brother. Me and my sister, Me and my
youngest sister. We we kind of grew up in the house,
mainly me and her for years, and my older brother,
but mainly me and my sister for years.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Okay, And what was your mom's what was she was
trying to do, like when you was out here just
at sixteen.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Well, you know, she really knows. So you know she
probably knew but didn't know because she's busy, got to work,
you know what I mean, do more more and more
hours of her job, deal with no two kids and everything.
So you know, I'm in the house, I'm you know
what I mean, I'm right. But when I get outside,
now you know what I mean, I'm transforming. I'm turning
into this this person's image that I created.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I got you. So at sixteen seventeen, you got yourself
right in the jam yep.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
So like I said, like I said, it was just
a writer pathage, going through the system, you know, the
island and coming back.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Three at sixteen, first time going to the island.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Right, right sixteen fourteen for drug possession. I got caught.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
We went to a party, one of my friends beefing
with the office. I forgot to ask them, Norman y'all started,
you know you ain't doing that until and then like
take us both in went to serisants.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I said, oh sure, I forgot. I had you know,
I mean, drugs in my pocket and.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
They locked it up. So you want to go into
Regas Island? How was that then?
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Yeah? Yeah, you know, as a kid, you really don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Like I said, I knew I really wasn't in a
major danger and a couple of you know, capsules or whatever,
so I knew it wasn't really an amazing things told
on my used the drugs. You know, you get the
drug program instead of my actual jail time or whatever.
So I copped out to a probation and outpatient programs.
You got to go through some community services or drug
classes off for a couple of hours. So I end
(07:37):
up doing that, and that was this so and then
I said, I didn't get locked back up until my
unfortunate time when I did nineteen and a half years
for like I said, for from my di incoming.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
MM. So you out there in the street. You got caught.
You you went to Records Island at sixteen, stayed in
the island for long.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Couple of months. Okay, yeah, just into like one prom
like one cup court date.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Okay, one court date. I got you. Were you scared? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:11):
First, Yeah, you know you're going into an unknown You're
just hearing the stories about you know, especially the Islands adolescent.
You know you want to be old, the story you
don't want to be a day room guy, and this
and the third. So definitely going into an unknown vinement.
Definitely was.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
But like I said, I can let them know that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Of course it was something normal.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Man.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
If you if you ship, if you come up, prepare
here telling me, oh, I wasn't scared or nothing is
cause always gonna be afraid of something that you don't
know what to expect, especially when it comes down to jail,
right you know. So, so you came home and then
you got caught for what then what they accused you of, say.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Murder, murdering the second the praving difference murder. So they
don't have the statue no more because of ramification, where
it's suposed to been a lesser included charge. I was
charged with intentional murder and then the charge under that
was the praving difference. But it's just the mindset. They
say I was acting in concert with others. So they said,
me and three other people were shooting at this guy
(09:13):
from the top of the stairs at this house party
that we usually frequent around my way and.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Push with okay, and they arrested you and just you
by yourself.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Yeah, so I said, at this time, after I came
home and you know what I mean, established myself and
you know, I started, you know, getting into other guys
that was locked up.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
They came home.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
They was gang affiliated. So these a lot of my
friends and stuff. So you know, they was trying to
know prove me. You know, we were hanging out, We're
doing everything already. So now they said, to add to
our recognition, our representation, we added a popular name to
it and brand to it at the time, which was Blood,
you know what I mean. So we ended up turning
no gang affiliated and then you know what comes with.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
That, So that this was what's going on right at
this time.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
This is nine This is nine seven, nine eight around
this time, so it's like the second wave. That's why
I said I'm probably second generation of.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You know what I mean. Blood.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
So this was like nine eight when I turned blood
and started hanging out and doing a lot of mischief.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So yeah, you're running around the street and listening to
your mom. Right, So he's sucking up in school.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
All right, I'm not even going.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You're not even going. Yeah, it's over.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
It's all right. I'm outside now, no for real. So
the girls just liking me, I'm getting money. You got
the change on everybody that I said I saw at
the beginning. I'm starting to gradually turn into that person
I used to see in the corner, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Girls just liking me money, my boy.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
This time you were like eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
About nineteen, about nineteen eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And done one day what you were just one day
you outside. It came.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Oh so two years later about two in two thousand.
Like I said, we usually go to this party called.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
The Chicken Coop. It's like, uh, the who the Chicken Cooke,
Chicken the chicken Chicken Cooke. We called it the Chicken
Cool around our way and stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And that's my next names Chicken Coop.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Yeah, so you know me say, remember back in Davis
to call girls chicken heads and yeah, chicken.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Like.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
So it's the place that we should just go to
a frank with. But it started getting popular. People really
started coming, you know what I mean. And and but
so we was there every weekend. So this particular weekend
I didn't go. I was with my girl at the time.
We was kind of beefing and so and a lot
of guys that I really really hung out with a
lot of my friends at that's related to my girlfriend.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
They not ganging for it.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
So I'm like, Yo, you want to I want to
go to cool like nah, because they knew the atmosphere,
the didn't want to be around there. So it's like,
you know what, I'm not gonna go Ei, I'm gonna
stay with y'all, gonna play video games, smoke and chill whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
And that's it.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
The next morning, I hear somebody got killed that day,
So everybody's like, yo, glad we didn't go this that
and third they're like, yes, you know what I mean. Yeah, No,
obviously I heard about it because it was around my way.
So two or three days later, I hear they walking
around looking for me a picture of me. Like I said,
they called me Peter Reps. So they got a picture
of my picture with the name PD on it wanted
(12:10):
for murder. So at this time too, I'm working for Bellowlantic,
you know, which is for rising now. I used to
work for the phone company. So, like I said, I
was going to work by day and when I get
off work, I'm outside. So I have one of them
kind of jobs and stuff. Like I said, I was
always striving the fence. I was a good kid, but
just wanted to do bad things. So so like I said,
(12:30):
once I hear but I'm going to work, my routine
is still the same. So it wasn't until my cousin
came and like ran down me. He looked panic. It's
like yo, rab yo yo. Police pulled me over there
looking for you, just like the third person that told me.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
So I'm like they were they serious?
Speaker 5 (12:45):
So I caused the precinct and I'm like, yo, this
is doing that at my job downtown Brooklyn. I'm like, yo,
this is doing now Tomlin, I heard y'all looking for me.
This the other third anything, So yeah, we all can
you come in for questioning this that third based this
not THIRSD So this is Tuesday. So I said, yeah,
I'm doing training right now.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
I be free.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
Friday, they said, Friday afternoon, no problem. Wednesday, go by,
I go to work, come home, everything good. Thursday, I
go to work, come home.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Everything good.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Friday, when I supposed to get off to go get them,
I get off. I'm going to get on the train.
Squad cars come to downtown Brooklyn. Er like me, or
doesn't really say nothing. Get me one arm, give me
the other hand. Escort me to the precinct. And that
was the last time that I saw New York City.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Wow, they just ran down on you.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Mm. So now, once they give me a precint, I
got you. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Once they give me a precint, this is where I
find out what actually happened.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Happened.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
So they tell me, Yeah, this girl got her bus
squeze in the party. She's arguing with the dude. You
don't ever know me. I got somebody for you. So
you know what a normal dual reaction? Oh yeah, man, yeah,
go get I'm telling them. So, so girl reacts she's
gonna go yeah yeah babe.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
I was walking and this dude grab my arm and
I told him I was gonna get you. He said
X Y and z R.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
So words were just changed and then after that gunfire
was exchanged. The police telling me she the police told
me she came and got me and three other friends.
They was arguing at the party and that's when the
guy got killed. So I'm like, once I found out
who it was over and what happened, I'm on, I'm
on out there. I'm on Brooklyn House. At the time,
I had my people's call like, yeah, let me find
(14:23):
out that girl and let her know that they locked
me up for that farm and that I ain't had
nothing to do with it. I had investigator called Michael
Race at this time. He probably hurt him real like,
he really didn't do a good job. He ended up
getting in touch with her, and so she says Brad
wasn't there. He doesn't, he doesn't party like that. But
(14:45):
it wasn't a written testumer he interviewed her over the phone.
So now we get the trial.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I'm on on an island like this. Now, I'm lady dog,
I got the whole incident.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Who the girl happened to saying I wasn't there, So
I'm ready to go trial, go to trial.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Within a year come in.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
The first two witnesses come, man, they said, you know
the judge is and I was like, who is that.
They said, that's Peter rab that's pet They called me Pete.
He said that's pet So my lord said, who do
you know what Peter Rabb said, Yeah, that's p D
aka Peter Rabs. Some my mo llady said, hold on,
p D and Peter Pete and Peter rabbits the same person.
They said, yeah, that's what they call him. So one
witness said he saw me and three other dudes shooting
(15:19):
that friend from the top of the stairs.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
The other dude said he just saw me at the party.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
He didn't see me shooting. So I'm like, okay, I'm
still not nervous. The next day, the girl comes in.
She's hysterical. She's coming walking like this. She can understand
the only reason I made that statement. I was scared,
he said, somebody saying I sent somebody to talk to
her to say, like the police don't come talk to you. You
need to say X, Y and Z. So she changed
(15:45):
her testimony and she said she said that I was
at the party, but she said she didn't see me
doing She changed her whole testimony. Remember the first two
witnesses said that she was alling with their friend and
she told him, you don't f it know me all right,
I got somebody for your testimony was as she was
walking to the party, go to the ball, a guy
grabbed her.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
They started arguing. She just left.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
She said, I grabbed my girlfriend and I was going
to the store to get a Dutch or something cause
he blew my high and that's when I heard the
shots and I ran home. I thought he was shooting
at me. So that was her testimony to ease her
out of getting conspiracy to murder because they said they
could have locked her up.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, because she was the one of that promote the shit.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Right, so she got nervous going through a custy battle
with her child's falled at the time.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
So they was like, you were gonna take away your chail.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
So at the end of the day, she felt like
she was saving herself even by lying on me. She
felt like, you know, she was doing her family a service,
you know what I mean. But unfortunately my life got
you know what I mean, in the life of the deceased.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, she's crazy. So they just came and gripped you
up and that was it. And then what happened? What
changed throughout the nineteen years. I mean you went obviously
to back to Records Island night. So now you with
your trial, you y you w y blue trial. So
now I'm going.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Back to Right Island.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
It's different, a little older. Now now I'm going as
a adult. Remember I went as a child, so now
I'm going as adult. And now I'm going gang affiliated.
Remember when I was turned blood on the street was around,
you know, family and friends, guys I really grew up
with and really knew. Right now, I got a obligation
to guys I don't know, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Now it's a sitting start. It's a different set of rules.
You know when there, you know they g checking.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
You better know you're old, you better know your coldes.
There was a lot of stuff that I didn't know.
And I said, this was at the heat, in the
height of on polices getting at them, you know on
no Land Kings and Spanish brothers. There's a lot of
tension in these environments at the time. And I said,
I'm a young kid, gott a target on my back
cause I said, I'm young, I'm gang affiliate. I don't.
I don't really know, but I got this obligation to
(17:49):
these guys. I mind you, I'm fighting a case that
I'm locked up for a crime and commit and I
also got an obligation to guys that I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Got a lot of shit going on, a lot of
stuff going on, a lot uh young age, like a
lot of young brothers right now, A lot of young brothers,
you know, just like you. They're in the island right now,
two bodies one body, A lot of shit going on.
They fighting the body, plus they down with gangs. They
trying to figure it out. You know, they got it.
They're living on rules and regulations and all kind of ship.
(18:17):
So so you're back now you're in the island now,
you know you like you said, you gang affiliated, dealing
with your case and all that. How long you was
in island for?
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Yeah, like one year, speedy til once I found out
the girl had thought she was on my side and
did a test man putting for a speedy trail.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Wasn't theing else to talk about, like.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
You know what I mean, Yeah, you was here to
go because you're married. I mean, you ain't do it,
so you ready to go I'm ready to go. Sure.
So now you went to trial, your blue trial, and
you when you.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Went from downstairs stay and then from downstairs. I was
downstairs downstate. What's like, said, a different atmosphere. You come
in here and yeah, how was that? You hear all
the stories? Man like they like I said, I'll tell you, boy,
I went to jail as drawn now, but when you
go up north, I became a number. You know, everybody
remember they dine numbers every one age twenty two ninety eight.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
You're branding.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Now.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
They strip you of your your dignity, your pride, and they.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Washed you down and they brand you. You know what
I mean. Now I'm a project of the state. You
know what I mean. So that was different.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
You know a lot of around, a lot of you know,
white offichit crazy. I mean coming from black officers. They
really don't like you because your stin color and everything,
so you know, dealing with that and I mean the
structure that they had, so that was scary of them.
From there, I went to five Points they had just
opened up. They was one of these point in New
(19:44):
York State. Yeah, that's Rominless, New York. They turned their
first It was supposed to be a box, but they
ended up turning into populations. So at this time they
were just sending anybody. Opened up in two thousand, I
went up North from two thousand and one, so at
this time they were just throwing anybody. So it was
it medium guys in there, you came out, the she
was in there, We had max time he was in there,
and it.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Was a whole double bunk facility as well.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
So that was yeah, that was that was another transition,
you know what I mean when I'm coming from a
cell or to having to sleep with somebody now, you know, yeah,
how was that? So that was the transition itself?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I meant, what was that? What was your son?
Speaker 5 (20:22):
I actually got sending a good question. I got sentenced
to twenty years of life, twenty years like the age
of twenty two, So I twenty like damn.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
You sitting there like I got twenty years.
Speaker 5 (20:31):
I ride up North was the longest ride in my life.
I'm saying it like I'm really locked up for crime
I commit. So I had a lot of hate you,
a lot of tension best sites so you know what
like something gang, I'm like, no, I want to I
want to come up north now and and and do something.
I don't care if I get caught, because now kind
of like a vindication of you know what I mean,
who I Now. I got to become that person I created,
(20:53):
and I really got to beat this gangster killer blood.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
I mean, because I said, I'm scared.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
I don't want to say, you know, you got to
become pray or you know what I mean, You're gonna
be prayed on. That's what I always thought. So I
always had to walk and stick my chest out and
be that guy, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So that's what it was.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
At first, I said, I was, you know what I mean,
taking place what you know is you know what I mean,
contracts or somebody was fool you know what I mean.
For the people that don't know, like you know, dealing
with games. You might have somebody that can't be in
the same jail as you, so you gotta get rid
of them. You gotta cut them or stab them or whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You had to go right into to where everything that
was going on. So from from downstate where you ended
up at.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
I went from Downstate to five point, stayed there for
two years and up getting my ged camemember.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I got locked up.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
I had no high school diploma, no GED, no nothing.
I went to five Points, got my GED, and then
from there went to Auburn for a couple of months,
and then from there I went to green Haven. So
that's what I did most of my time, and between
green Haven and Sing Sing So so got to green
Haven like about two thousand and five, two thousand and three,
(21:58):
I'm sorry, two two thousand.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Okay, Well at least you ended up back in the jail.
That it's a little bit more calm, you know, in
regards to like to get what you want to get
the best you could get out of being in jail,
you know what I'm saying, not like going to Clinton
or Attica old come Stock and shit be more complicated
(22:22):
and more, you know what I'm saying. It's more, you know,
it's more complicated, more a lot of ship, more a
lot of ship happening in the mother of jails. Not
that shit. Don't go on where you was at. I mean,
I'm quite sure you've seen things you know that you
probably can't forget about and ship like that, but you know,
in the mother jails is like more more and more
for for the fuck ups.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Right, So, like I said, because remember, you can't come
down unless you being good.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Remember to be close to be I think, great, it's close.
So you did your whole time there.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Green havens sings together. I did probably not half my
nineteen and a half years. I probably did more than
ten years between them two jails alone than my last
two years at Odisville.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
So how was your day to day and what was
your mindset? Well, in green Haven, I was still transition.
We want to know the transition when you decided I
got to get the fuck out of jail.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
So this was you know, I always fighting my case.
I never thought I was actually going to do nineteen
and a half years. I remember, post have been twenty.
But I got six years. Created a good time because
when I finally got to sing sing. But just go
to answer your question, I did two years in green Haven.
Then I went to sing sing, still gaining affiliated a
lot of my fellas I was with I STI always
had the same to mean. I never was like a pressure.
(23:38):
Remember when I turned blood, They was telling me the
history of it, how it was supposed to be. You know, buddy,
love overrides of pressure and destruction.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
We were supposed to protect our community. So that's was
my attraction to it at the time as well. I
knew the history and the origin of it. So and
now a lot of brothers that I was with, it's like,
why are you messing with them guys? Like what you doing? Like,
I mean this thing there, that's the people that are
I really didn't have no answer for them. So it
wasn't until so, you know what, like seven years in,
I kind of, you know what I said, stopped messing
(24:08):
with the gang, started messing with a lot of Brooklyn guys.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
And I know it's a lot of them going.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
To school and going to the school building, so that
you know, the yard is equivalent to the street up
nor if you know what I mean. Anything you can
find in the street in New York City, you can
find the yard in the penitentiary. So that's what that's
where I was comfortable at in the yard. So, like
I said, once I saw a lot of brothers that I
looked at and respect that sort, and I'm going to
the school buildings, so and I'm going to school.
Speaker 4 (24:32):
I was like, oh, it's cool to go there.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
So I ended up thanks to the Hudson Link program
Mercy College and end up going to college and obtaining
my associate's degree.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Ended up being going on the block. What I did too,
that kept me.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You got focused.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I kept focused, and when I left it was time.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Where they the issues I know they had to bring
because it did because.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
You know, I, like I said, I was respected.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I was.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
I was gaining for it for a while and like
a lot of them looked up to me because I
kept it reial. I could have said I knew what happened.
So I'm saying I could have told what happened, but
I wasn't there. And like, even though I knew what
happened in my mind, I couldn't put myself to put
nobody else in the position that I wasn't. I was like, yo,
I wasn't there. I had nothing to do with that.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
I'm not doing, Like, yeah, I'm not doing you have
to handle it. He was handling, you know.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
So I got a lot of respect from my peers
and officers that because I wasn't in there acting like
I killed this murder. I never promoted that maintained my innocence.
It was being you, I maintained my innocence. Since they
want I wanted.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Just my question to you is how the transition from
you being a gang member when you decided you didn't
want a gang man? No more, like how that how
that worked out? Like how you managed to get you
know right, well will come that because you know some
sometimes that no question. You know, people get stabbed up,
you know, you get shot, you know you kind.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Of and they when you want you, they tend to
like throw you on the dummy man. All right, you
don't want to heah, that's your next place. You got
to put this this deal and you got to put
this work in because now they don't care about you.
Somebody that they got beef with goes and you go
too if you get caught. They killed two birds in
one stone. So usually you're.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Right that was the case.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
But like said, I was well respected and fortunately one
of my superior is one of my big homies, which
they at the spot at the time, and told him,
you know what I'm trying to do, trying to get
more focused on you know this lower library, fighting my case,
getting in the school program. And you know he gave
me that that that that that.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
That that leeway said, Yo, it's all right with me.
That's what you want to do.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
So I left out and but no harm, no foul,
you know what I mean, respected like a soldier, buried
my bone, and it was all good.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
He was able to accomplish your mission.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
You have to look over my shoulder, you know what
I mean. Still got love from the guys.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
That was cool. So it worked out for you. Usually
don't work out like that at the time, That's what
I'm saying. But those for the viewers and for the
people out there that thinks that just don't go down
like that all the time. Sometimes you gotta get your
head cracked on the mission. You know, it just don't
go well because you know, it's like you know what
I mean, Yeah, you know too much, or it's like
you know, it's just not right, it's just dangerous, you know.
(27:15):
So but I'm happy that you was able to overcome
that and was able to get focused. So you start
going to the low Library, going to.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Lower library, fighting my case, trying to find somebody to
take interest in my case. I couldn't find nobody for
a while because my moms didn't have money. We didn't
have money to pay for lawyers and all that stuff. So,
like I said, at and B lawyer, which is a
a lawyer that's appointed to you and stuff and the
same things. But they finally stayed up enough money and
got me a pellet lawyer. She did her job. But
(27:43):
then once that guy denied, They're like, oh, I can't
do no more service for you unless you got more money.
So I started asking these people like that, how much
is my life worth? You know what I mean? Like
I'm not I'm actually innocent. I'm not looking for a loophole.
I knew guys that be trialing with home committed they crime,
saying I'm stucky up north for a crime I didn't commit,
(28:05):
you know what I mean. So that was like I said,
it was a blow.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Too bad?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Was it making you better?
Speaker 5 (28:09):
And that's one of my models to this day. I
gotta get a shirt. I'm a better man, not a
better man, you know what I mean? Like I said,
I always accountable for my actual because at one time
it wasn't until I went to the box and I said, dag,
how did I get here? And I said, like I said,
they ain't just come give me a street my choice.
That's why I go around. I tell the kids now,
my choices, my affiliation, and my association led to my
future incarceration. The choices that I made. If I never
(28:32):
was gaining fully, if I never hung out with them deals,
if I never got locked up, and that's how they
got me because they went saw a photo ray. And
I see, that's why I tell kids too, what you
do now can affect you ten fifteen years down.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
I don't even know I'm working and doing everything. When
I got.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Arrested early on, they had my fingerprints, so they went
and looked at a photo ray, and that's how they
was able to pick me out, even have a picture
of me to get locked up for this crout. So
but I never got locked up when I was fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
You don't never have that I got you. So now
you did yourn eighteen years. You went to a low library, yep.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
So during this time too, I was also I ended
up working with the rec Department of course special subjects.
So I was really into sports. I was also a
big basketball player. Everybody said I could have went to
the league. I played with a lot of guys that's
you know, well known in the sports.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
In basketball growing up in Brooklyn.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I was just a little undersized, so I never knew
how nice I was until I got locked up or whatever.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
So I started was bunching niggas just say that.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
Yeah, I'm always.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
I'm argument like top five point guard in the state,
Like you know what I mean to this day. But
I started doing sports and I started being a commissioner.
I started running the sports programs for the whole jail,
eight block B block on the blogs. I started putting
together tournaments and schedules for both sides, calling me the commissioner.
(30:00):
So I said, I didn't even know the love I
had and likes to always start playing the game, show
your love, but putting the game together. I found a
love for that. So one day officer came up to me.
He was like, a rap, it's.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
A game tonight.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
I'm like, nah, nah, tom On He's like, oh man,
I'm like, why are you man? He said, nah, I
got the yard to night. And you know, usually when
there's a game outside, everybody's around the basketball court.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
He can see everybody.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
It's nothing going on because just like the street, if
it's idle time, that's when they're trying to get drugs.
They trying to do this one. But it's a basketball
game going on. It's something that Joe. They watching the game.
So I said that I like, let me get these
guys to do something more in the yard to keep
them out of trouble. Yeah, not end up being my name, bullshit, right,
(30:48):
So I said that if I can do that with
these brothers in here, let me come out here and
do that with these kids out here before they get
in there. So I said, after coming home, a lot
of my my brother I was locked up with Andre
and Patterson. We talked about coming home and starting, you know,
a nonprofit organization. So we ended up he ended up
starting at Freedom Elite Sports Academy organization where we trained
(31:14):
we mentor. We also got a mentor team that formerly
in concentrated brothers that go out to the Rykers Island.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Schools and.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
Gyms and we'll play the kids and let them know listen,
we was once inspiring athletes like you, but one poor choice,
one poor decision, our life deterred that. So y'all go
back and play with them. Yeah, we're trying. Yeah, so
we're trying to go back. We're supposed to go back
last year, but hopefully this summer, we're trying to go
to the five Building and and playing them with our organization.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Oh, that's cool. We could definitely situate something like that
because oh how you called it. Ah, I'll be going
to Ratings Island. So we could definitely get put the
put some stuff together and get the team to go
in there and play them and all that. We were
trying to get that together. So you know, this is
(32:07):
what you do, so it could probably be easier. However,
you evolved, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
That's what I said.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
That's cool.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
We got about ten guys, that's all approved and everything's
going there.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Let us know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Okay, that's good. So we're definitely gonna do something like that.
So now you came home. What year you came home?
Speaker 5 (32:26):
So I came home, as I said, going to the
parole bo Let me talk about that real quick, going
to the parole board as because you know, when you
go to parole board, they don't know if you they
don't care if you innocent, gilt you going there as
a convicted murderer. They want to know what has changed
from the person that committed this crime to the person
that wants to be released. So now I was kind
(32:48):
of scared. I get to a medium. I was kind
of scared, said that do I go and emit to
a crime I didn't commit, just to go home? Or
do I, you know, stand on my tin tool like
I've been doing and maintaining my innocence. So it wasn't
until I got to Otisville and they said a guy
had just went to parole board mainteen is innocent and
he made it. So I dropped my stuff and I
went to the MEETIA introduced myself and told him, you
(33:09):
know I'm going to this year too, can you you know,
let me know you know what you did. So he
asked me my question. I say, yeah, but maintaining my
innocence the day one he said, which is good? And
what I've been doing, what I accomplished.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
And I went there.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
I was able to get in touch with my brother
good brothers of my prince and my brother Sean. They
was in touch with wrong Kooby. You're familiar with Ron Koby.
He's one of the big time lawyers. What he did
was wrong, wrong, full convicted cases. So he did a
lot of for me in support of my innocence and
that he'd be working with me this, that and there.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
So when I went to parole board.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
They saw that so my demeanor, saw my paperwork and
its fit as you know, an innocent man, and they
was able to grant me on parole.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
So I came that shit don't really happen like that
once again. I just.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I was like, you threw over here, breaking this out
of me on line. You know, parole tough.
Speaker 5 (34:04):
And I said, I was scared unknown, but like I said.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
One of you to make this ship and all that,
and it's an issue because I went to jail with
something I didn't do either, but I ain't do that.
I just like, but I you know what I mean,
I ain't I went to jail son I ain't doing
and I was when I went to parole, I was like,
(34:27):
I didn't do what you did. I was like, yeah, please,
I just handled it.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Whatever I was, I ain't gonna for going to parole
was kind of more. I was more nervous going to
parole than I was trial because I was like, okay,
I was innocent.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
You know's a chance I'm really going home?
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, you're not even looking at You're not
looking at so far.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
But parole, I'm like, these guys can hit me with
a year two more years.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, you hear two years. That's the that's the favorite.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
And I was also scared.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
It was this movie called Crown Heights, based on a
true story about it guy who was also wrongly convicted
and did time, but he was from the Islands or whatever,
so he didn't really know how to adjust till the
prison system. He's always in the box, always going through
stuff with officers and convicts or whatever. So they asked
(35:17):
me a parole boy. Yeah, you say you didn't commit
this crime. You was innocent, but it shows, you know,
over one hundred infractions in box time.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
He said, the disciplinary is messed up all right.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
Right, so he got hit two or three times because
he didn't want to admit to the crime he didn't commit.
You know, when I saw that movie, I was like,
oh my god, that's why I really got scared of Dan.
I really got to admit to a crime I didn't commit,
just to go home.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Yeah, yeah, it was tough. Luckily that you got God
blessed you with the other brothers that you was able
to get, you know, get in contact with him and
he would get good prepped before it.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Right.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
So, like I said, I came home and on September third,
twenty nineteen, after the start doing nineteen and a half years,
my family was there. Was such a beautiful day, you know,
coming home. Like I said, when I left home, I
had a beat up. So I never had a cell phone,
never had a flip phone. So just having a phone
and the technology I came from like I did two decades,
(36:15):
I came onto.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
You came home to you kill your family was there
for you. Thank God, Thank God for that. You know,
a lot of brothers go to jail, they don't have nobody.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
That's another thing. I was scared of.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
My mother, my father, my siblings, everybody was still there
and intact.
Speaker 4 (36:30):
Like I said, came home.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Now, I'm an executive director of Freedom Elite Sports Academy.
We do a lot of stuff in the community. We
have tournaments every year in the Bronx. We do one
in Castle Hill for the last two years. The guys
kids come out there and they played free food, dreams, beverages, music.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
We had went up.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
North in Newburgh that we do every year, the Youth
Empowerment Basketball tournament.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
That we do up there.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Okay, shout out to the New Bird.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
That's where I'm at right now. I'm living in Poughkeepsie.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Oh yeah, myself. One of my kids live in New Birds.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
Yeah, so that's right there, New Bird, Poughkeepsie, Kingston.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
It's like our five borough or something. They're all half
an hour away from each other in the Middletown. So
I'm doing that. I'm also I'm working out a rehabilitation
facility a house manager there, so I'm doing that right now. So,
like I said, one thing they ever asked me, what
what you want to do? You know, you get that
question what you gona do? I said, I just want
to be accounted for. I wanted to pay taxes. I
(37:24):
want to get a job.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
I just want to be you want you want, you want,
you want anything account man, You want to do things
that you double thought you could do right right, And
it's a blessing. You know, you got kids.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Yes, I came home and I was blessed to have
I got a four.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
Year old junior, blessed, blessed this year. So you know
it's like you know, my married engaged.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Okay, congratulations, so you focused, man, this is what we want.
This is what this is. This is a great see.
This is the interviews that I well that you could
could you could you could actually break the whole story down,
and brothers and brothers, young brothers and sisters out they
could see. You know what I'm saying that you never
you never lost faith in yourself. You know what I'm saying.
(38:09):
You kept and you you you stood up for yourself.
You know what I'm saying, even at the toughest moments.
Because things could have went bad for you in jail too,
you know what I'm saying, because you was involved with
gangs and stuff like that. You know, so a lot
of shit happens, you know when you in jail, particularly,
you know what I'm saying, jail it could be like
you could be lovely, huggy and all that one one moment,
(38:31):
the next thing, you be the one. You be the
you be fool, You be the guy that be looking
for the guy that be. So you know you've been
home six years and a half and half going on six.
It's a blessing. Man, Well, I can say, man, you know,
is a honor avenue. You know what I'm saying. Definitely
would like to definitely stay in contact with you so
(38:53):
we could situate something for to right as Islands, so
we could bring the team up and there and play
the brothers and all that and and keep doing your thing, man.
And it's what is about. The platform is here for you.
Just know that dog in the yard is is this
is This is your platform. This is for those brothers
that never had a voice like you. You ain't had
(39:14):
no voice for nineteen years. Now you're out here. You
out here, you was able to share your story, you
know me for the brothers and sisters out there. You
know what I'm saying. They can see that. You know
it's real. It could happen. You know what I'm saying.
You could be out there one day and all of
a sudden you could get snatched up and you didn't
know nothing about it and you get caught up. And
lack of education and you're not and you running the
(39:36):
streets and thinking you know everything, and you get caught
up and you wanted to lose in your life for
a long time.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
That's that's why I go around.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I tell kids, Now, how do you feel about prison reform?
Speaker 5 (39:46):
Definitely? Definitely for it, know what I mean, It's about time.
You know, it's a well overdue you know what I mean.
It's still a long way going, but it's something that's
you know, finally being looked at, because the prison system.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Is finally being looked at. Right, you can believe that ship, right,
it's finally being looked at. I feel the same way too,
especially after the last event where they kill uh yeah,
Robert Brooks, it's right, you know what I'm saying now
that but that's been going on for a long time.
If you say years, imagine me that I did seventeen
(40:21):
years before you did nineteen. So that ship been like history.
People out there, you know, getting beat up and all
that bout the correctional officers and all that.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Yeah, I mean that.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
So you know, I'm happy that, you know, it's we started,
you know, look at they started to look at it.
You know what I'm saying things that we always kept
as a secret because you know how many ass whoopen's
and the guy that never told my mom's double share
that my story.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
Never the And then they said they beat you up,
and then you get a new charge.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
All the time, all in the three years in the box.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
You heard you heard they knuckles, they knuckles just messed
up for being on you. You assaulted them with your head.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yeah, what's one of the worst things you've seen in prison.
Speaker 5 (41:04):
Somebody get airlifted out, you know, once you get stabbed
and they don't have the proper time, my chances to
get CHOPO gotta come in and get you as you
laying there face down on the floor seeing the guy
that you know or heard of, you know what I mean,
getting airlifted out, or as you standing on the floor
until the yard is clear.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
So I was always a scary thing, like you said,
going out every day your life is on the line.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Any last words you want to tell any brothers out there,
young brothers and sisters out there.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
I said, I just want to tell yourbody just to
make better choices, better decisions. Like I said, I know,
as a kid or girl out there or just like me,
a good kid, but just mess with the wrong people
and be at the wrong places at the wrong time.
And like I said, you think because I'm not committing
a crime. If you association yourself with people that are
you are Like I said, the rico lord now is
(41:55):
for the minority. Now, It's not just for you know,
corrupted officials and old mob gangs.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
They're using it for us. So just keep that in mind.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Mm hmmm. And with that being says your boy pristal
P dog in the y'all, what what are you? What
they knows? Your boy pristol P Walking back to the
dog in the yard. First and foremost, I want to
thank Dnell for coming through. Appreciate having you, my brother,
keep doing your thing today. Danelle is doing greatness out there,
making a change. He's a motivational speaker for the youth,
(42:31):
for those brothers out there that was that was that
was involving gangs or are involved gangs, and he's creating
a change. And that's what it's about. With that being said, Yo,
what they knows your boy pristal P dog in the yard.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Sea, I was flying.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
We'd alive the South Shine, We'd alive the South Shie
Himself.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
That'll be Hope a South darks A over your mouth, right, gulous.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Clear, that's right?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Whatever? What else? You already know your boy pistol people
walking back the dog in the yard? Today we got
down now in the building. Down now. Did nineteen years
and a half for a crime he didn't commit at
the age of twenty one. He's been home five years now.
Today he's a motivated speaker, you know, because his affiliation
(01:52):
and down with gangs and all that led to his incarceration.
So today he's on a different path. And with all
that being said, let's get right to it. You already
know boy PRIs Pete dog in New York? What up?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
What up?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
What you know? Is your boy prisdal Pete walking back
to dog in New York. And today we got down
there in the building from Brooklyn, Brooklyn. What's good? Bushwood
in the building. What's up? Man? Shout out to Brooklyn.
What's up? Brother? How you been?
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
What's going on? Man? How's everything going?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Everything's good? Everything's good, man, everything good?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Man, I'm blast how long you been home?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Going on six years in September?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Good? All right, every right, So tell us a little
bit of uh your background a little bit, you know,
your upbringing. Those that are not know don Yell you.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Know, like I said, her name is Donelle Tomlin Manon
in Brooklyn and the state ass Peter Rab you know
what I mean. But everybody call me Rab and stuff.
So you know, I grew up like any other kid.
I grew up with both parents in the household. Early on,
I had my mother, She was like, you know, the
spiritual guidance, the disciplinarian. My father was the athlete, you
(02:59):
know what I mean, man in the house. So I
kind of had like I was blessing til I didn't
know until they broke up, probably the age of twelve.
And then you know, I started a lot of idle time,
you know what I mean. So I started, you know,
my hanging out of my neighborhood after school programs and
seeing no people that I normally didn't see in my
(03:21):
in my past, you know, pathways and stuff because I
had I didn't have idle time. But like I said,
I started seeing the guys and stuff, you know, the.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Change on the jewelry.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
The girls attracted them, so you know, I thought I
was handsome and a pretty boy or whatever. So I
wanted the girls, but the girls like the bad boys.
So that led me to a bad road.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Okay, Yeah, once your parents broke up, you started being
outside a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Right, all right, Right, I started, you know, hanging out.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Like I said, I started getting a lot of detention
time because I was acting up, figuring out would be
a way to pull them back in, because like so,
I was probably the happiest person going to the tention.
I said that maybe it's my fault. Maybe I was
and spiritual enough, you know what I mean. On my
mother's side, maybe I wasn't as good as an athlete,
or my father not the child. Pretend to blame myself
sometime for our parents, you know, miscues or whatever. So
(04:10):
I said, think if I act them in school, they
got to come back together and see what they're doing
is not working, and then you know, we can get
back together as a unity. But I just accumulated more
more detention time and like time going to school with
a lot of real bad kids now and we started
hanging out.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, started making friends with all the bad people, all
the kids that's getting in trouble.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And all that.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That's how it usually is anywhere. You know, you out
there and you you from you know, you out there
from the hood and all that. So there's nothing else
out there but just you know, guys hanging out trying
to figure it out what to get into, especially at
a young age. All right, you know what age is this?
Speaker 5 (04:48):
So this is about twelve thirteen, So it's like my
last year in junior high school, going into and going
into high school. So when I really started being outside
and really at my surroundings, and like I say, I
didn't know how blessed I was until I went out,
started going to my other friends house, single parents, no father.
You know, I thought everybody lived like me. The Cosby Show,
(05:10):
you know, the Huxtables had the mother far out of
know until like I said, I started.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Hanging out with, you know, the unfortunate guys that didn't.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Right then you started seeing that got you. When when
did you actually start getting in trouble jail police, I was.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Tired to be about fifteen sixteen.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
You know, started you know, selling drugs, started selling stealing
and you know, taking stuff to the corner stores and
selling it to them. So I've been locked up for loitering,
hopping the train, the sly conduct. So you was just
out of control, right, you know, it was just going
through the system and coming back, you know what I mean.
(05:51):
So you have siblings, you have to have five sisters
and one brother. Me and my sister, Me and my
youngest sister. We we kind of grew up in the house,
mainly me and her for years, and my older brother,
but mainly me and my sister for years.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Okay, And what was your mom's what was she was
trying to do, like when you was out here just
at sixteen.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Well, you know, she really knows. So you know she
probably knew but didn't know because she's busy, got to work,
you know what I mean, do more more and more
hours of her job, deal with no two kids and everything.
So you know, I'm in the house, I'm you know
what I mean, I'm right. But when I get outside,
now you know what I mean, I'm transforming. I'm turning
into this this person's image that I created.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
I got you. So at sixteen seventeen, you got yourself
right in the jam yep.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
So like I said, like I said, it was just
a writer pathage, going through the system, you know, the
island and coming back.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Three at sixteen, first time going to the island.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Right, right sixteen fourteen for drug possession. I got caught.
Speaker 5 (06:55):
We went to a party, one of my friends beefing
with the office. I forgot to ask them, Norman y'all started,
you know you ain't doing that until and then like
take us both in went to serisants.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I said, oh sure, I forgot. I had you know,
I mean, drugs in my pocket and.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
They locked it up. So you want to go into
Regas Island? How was that then?
Speaker 4 (07:13):
Yeah? Yeah, you know, as a kid, you really don't know.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Like I said, I knew I really wasn't in a
major danger and a couple of you know, capsules or whatever,
so I knew it wasn't really an amazing things told
on my used the drugs. You know, you get the
drug program instead of my actual jail time or whatever.
So I copped out to a probation and outpatient programs.
You got to go through some community services or drug
classes off for a couple of hours. So I end
(07:37):
up doing that, and that was this so and then
I said, I didn't get locked back up until my
unfortunate time when I did nineteen and a half years
for like I said, for from my di incoming.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
MM. So you out there in the street. You got caught.
You you went to Records Island at sixteen, stayed in
the island for long.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Couple of months. Okay, yeah, just into like one prom
like one cup court date.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Okay, one court date. I got you. Were you scared? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (08:11):
First, Yeah, you know you're going into an unknown You're
just hearing the stories about you know, especially the Islands adolescent.
You know you want to be old, the story you
don't want to be a day room guy, and this
and the third. So definitely going into an unknown vinement.
Definitely was.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
But like I said, I can let them know that.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Of course it was something normal.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Man.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
If you if you ship, if you come up, prepare
here telling me, oh, I wasn't scared or nothing is
cause always gonna be afraid of something that you don't
know what to expect, especially when it comes down to jail,
right you know. So, so you came home and then
you got caught for what then what they accused you of, say.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Murder, murdering the second the praving difference murder. So they
don't have the statue no more because of ramification, where
it's suposed to been a lesser included charge. I was
charged with intentional murder and then the charge under that
was the praving difference. But it's just the mindset. They
say I was acting in concert with others. So they said,
me and three other people were shooting at this guy
(09:13):
from the top of the stairs at this house party
that we usually frequent around my way and.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Push with okay, and they arrested you and just you
by yourself.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Yeah, so I said, at this time, after I came
home and you know what I mean, established myself and
you know, I started, you know, getting into other guys
that was locked up.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
They came home.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
They was gang affiliated. So these a lot of my
friends and stuff. So you know, they was trying to
know prove me. You know, we were hanging out, We're
doing everything already. So now they said, to add to
our recognition, our representation, we added a popular name to
it and brand to it at the time, which was Blood,
you know what I mean. So we ended up turning
no gang affiliated and then you know what comes with.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
That, So that this was what's going on right at
this time.
Speaker 5 (09:58):
This is nine This is nine seven, nine eight around
this time, so it's like the second wave. That's why
I said I'm probably second generation of.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You know what I mean. Blood.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
So this was like nine eight when I turned blood
and started hanging out and doing a lot of mischief.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
So yeah, you're running around the street and listening to
your mom. Right, So he's sucking up in school.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
All right, I'm not even going.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
You're not even going. Yeah, it's over.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
It's all right. I'm outside now, no for real. So
the girls just liking me, I'm getting money. You got
the change on everybody that I said I saw at
the beginning. I'm starting to gradually turn into that person
I used to see in the corner, you know what
I mean?
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Girls just liking me money, my boy.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
This time you were like eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
About nineteen, about nineteen eighteen nineteen.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And done one day what you were just one day
you outside. It came.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Oh so two years later about two in two thousand.
Like I said, we usually go to this party called.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
The Chicken Coop. It's like, uh, the who the Chicken Cooke,
Chicken the chicken Chicken Cooke. We called it the Chicken
Cool around our way and stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And that's my next names Chicken Coop.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
Yeah, so you know me say, remember back in Davis
to call girls chicken heads and yeah, chicken.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Like.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
So it's the place that we should just go to
a frank with. But it started getting popular. People really
started coming, you know what I mean. And and but
so we was there every weekend. So this particular weekend
I didn't go. I was with my girl at the time.
We was kind of beefing and so and a lot
of guys that I really really hung out with a
lot of my friends at that's related to my girlfriend.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
They not ganging for it.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
So I'm like, Yo, you want to I want to
go to cool like nah, because they knew the atmosphere,
the didn't want to be around there. So it's like,
you know what, I'm not gonna go Ei, I'm gonna
stay with y'all, gonna play video games, smoke and chill whatever.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
And that's it.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
The next morning, I hear somebody got killed that day,
So everybody's like, yo, glad we didn't go this that
and third they're like, yes, you know what I mean. Yeah, No,
obviously I heard about it because it was around my way.
So two or three days later, I hear they walking
around looking for me a picture of me. Like I said,
they called me Peter Reps. So they got a picture
of my picture with the name PD on it wanted
(12:10):
for murder. So at this time too, I'm working for Bellowlantic,
you know, which is for rising now. I used to
work for the phone company. So, like I said, I
was going to work by day and when I get
off work, I'm outside. So I have one of them
kind of jobs and stuff. Like I said, I was
always striving the fence. I was a good kid, but
just wanted to do bad things. So so like I said,
(12:30):
once I hear but I'm going to work, my routine
is still the same. So it wasn't until my cousin
came and like ran down me. He looked panic. It's
like yo, rab yo yo. Police pulled me over there
looking for you, just like the third person that told me.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
So I'm like they were they serious?
Speaker 5 (12:45):
So I caused the precinct and I'm like, yo, this
is doing that at my job downtown Brooklyn. I'm like, yo,
this is doing now Tomlin, I heard y'all looking for me.
This the other third anything, So yeah, we all can
you come in for questioning this that third based this
not THIRSD So this is Tuesday. So I said, yeah,
I'm doing training right now.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
I be free.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
Friday, they said, Friday afternoon, no problem. Wednesday, go by,
I go to work, come home, everything good. Thursday, I
go to work, come home.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Everything good.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Friday, when I supposed to get off to go get them,
I get off. I'm going to get on the train.
Squad cars come to downtown Brooklyn. Er like me, or
doesn't really say nothing. Get me one arm, give me
the other hand. Escort me to the precinct. And that
was the last time that I saw New York City.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Wow, they just ran down on you.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Mm. So now, once they give me a precint, I
got you. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
Once they give me a precint, this is where I
find out what actually happened.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
Happened.
Speaker 5 (13:41):
So they tell me, Yeah, this girl got her bus
squeze in the party. She's arguing with the dude. You
don't ever know me. I got somebody for you. So
you know what a normal dual reaction? Oh yeah, man, yeah,
go get I'm telling them. So, so girl reacts she's
gonna go yeah yeah babe.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
I was walking and this dude grab my arm and
I told him I was gonna get you. He said
X Y and z R.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
So words were just changed and then after that gunfire
was exchanged. The police telling me she the police told
me she came and got me and three other friends.
They was arguing at the party and that's when the
guy got killed. So I'm like, once I found out
who it was over and what happened, I'm on, I'm
on out there. I'm on Brooklyn House. At the time,
I had my people's call like, yeah, let me find
(14:23):
out that girl and let her know that they locked
me up for that farm and that I ain't had
nothing to do with it. I had investigator called Michael
Race at this time. He probably hurt him real like,
he really didn't do a good job. He ended up
getting in touch with her, and so she says Brad
wasn't there. He doesn't, he doesn't party like that. But
(14:45):
it wasn't a written testumer he interviewed her over the phone.
So now we get the trial.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I'm on on an island like this. Now, I'm lady dog,
I got the whole incident.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Who the girl happened to saying I wasn't there, So
I'm ready to go trial, go to trial.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Within a year come in.
Speaker 5 (14:59):
The first two witnesses come, man, they said, you know
the judge is and I was like, who is that.
They said, that's Peter rab that's pet They called me Pete.
He said that's pet So my lord said, who do
you know what Peter Rabb said, Yeah, that's p D
aka Peter Rabs. Some my mo llady said, hold on,
p D and Peter Pete and Peter rabbits the same person.
They said, yeah, that's what they call him. So one
witness said he saw me and three other dudes shooting
(15:19):
that friend from the top of the stairs.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
The other dude said he just saw me at the party.
Speaker 5 (15:24):
He didn't see me shooting. So I'm like, okay, I'm
still not nervous. The next day, the girl comes in.
She's hysterical. She's coming walking like this. She can understand
the only reason I made that statement. I was scared,
he said, somebody saying I sent somebody to talk to
her to say, like the police don't come talk to you. You
need to say X, Y and Z. So she changed
(15:45):
her testimony and she said she said that I was
at the party, but she said she didn't see me
doing She changed her whole testimony. Remember the first two
witnesses said that she was alling with their friend and
she told him, you don't f it know me all right,
I got somebody for your testimony was as she was
walking to the party, go to the ball, a guy
grabbed her.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
They started arguing. She just left.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
She said, I grabbed my girlfriend and I was going
to the store to get a Dutch or something cause
he blew my high and that's when I heard the
shots and I ran home. I thought he was shooting
at me. So that was her testimony to ease her
out of getting conspiracy to murder because they said they
could have locked her up.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Yeah, because she was the one of that promote the shit.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Right, so she got nervous going through a custy battle
with her child's falled at the time.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
So they was like, you were gonna take away your chail.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
So at the end of the day, she felt like
she was saving herself even by lying on me. She
felt like, you know, she was doing her family a service,
you know what I mean. But unfortunately my life got
you know what I mean, in the life of the deceased.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Yeah, she's crazy. So they just came and gripped you
up and that was it. And then what happened? What
changed throughout the nineteen years. I mean you went obviously
to back to Records Island night. So now you with
your trial, you y you w y blue trial. So
now I'm going.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Back to Right Island.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
It's different, a little older. Now now I'm going as
a adult. Remember I went as a child, so now
I'm going as adult. And now I'm going gang affiliated.
Remember when I was turned blood on the street was around,
you know, family and friends, guys I really grew up
with and really knew. Right now, I got a obligation
to guys I don't know, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
Now it's a sitting start. It's a different set of rules.
You know when there, you know they g checking.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
You better know you're old, you better know your coldes.
There was a lot of stuff that I didn't know.
And I said, this was at the heat, in the
height of on polices getting at them, you know on
no Land Kings and Spanish brothers. There's a lot of
tension in these environments at the time. And I said,
I'm a young kid, gott a target on my back
cause I said, I'm young, I'm gang affiliate. I don't.
I don't really know, but I got this obligation to
(17:49):
these guys. I mind you, I'm fighting a case that
I'm locked up for a crime and commit and I
also got an obligation to guys that I really didn't.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Got a lot of shit going on, a lot of
stuff going on, a lot uh young age, like a
lot of young brothers right now, A lot of young brothers,
you know, just like you. They're in the island right now,
two bodies one body, A lot of shit going on.
They fighting the body, plus they down with gangs. They
trying to figure it out. You know, they got it.
They're living on rules and regulations and all kind of ship.
(18:17):
So so you're back now you're in the island now,
you know you like you said, you gang affiliated, dealing
with your case and all that. How long you was
in island for?
Speaker 5 (18:30):
Yeah, like one year, speedy til once I found out
the girl had thought she was on my side and
did a test man putting for a speedy trail.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Wasn't theing else to talk about, like.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
You know what I mean, Yeah, you was here to
go because you're married. I mean, you ain't do it,
so you ready to go I'm ready to go. Sure.
So now you went to trial, your blue trial, and
you when you.
Speaker 5 (18:51):
Went from downstairs stay and then from downstairs. I was
downstairs downstate. What's like, said, a different atmosphere. You come
in here and yeah, how was that? You hear all
the stories? Man like they like I said, I'll tell you, boy,
I went to jail as drawn now, but when you
go up north, I became a number. You know, everybody
remember they dine numbers every one age twenty two ninety eight.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
You're branding.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
Now.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
They strip you of your your dignity, your pride, and they.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Washed you down and they brand you. You know what
I mean. Now I'm a project of the state. You
know what I mean. So that was different.
Speaker 5 (19:24):
You know a lot of around, a lot of you know,
white offichit crazy. I mean coming from black officers. They
really don't like you because your stin color and everything,
so you know, dealing with that and I mean the
structure that they had, so that was scary of them.
From there, I went to five Points they had just
opened up. They was one of these point in New
(19:44):
York State. Yeah, that's Rominless, New York. They turned their
first It was supposed to be a box, but they
ended up turning into populations. So at this time they
were just sending anybody. Opened up in two thousand, I
went up North from two thousand and one, so at
this time they were just throwing anybody. So it was
it medium guys in there, you came out, the she
was in there, We had max time he was in there,
and it.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Was a whole double bunk facility as well.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
So that was yeah, that was that was another transition,
you know what I mean when I'm coming from a
cell or to having to sleep with somebody now, you know, yeah,
how was that? So that was the transition itself?
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I meant, what was that? What was your son?
Speaker 5 (20:22):
I actually got sending a good question. I got sentenced
to twenty years of life, twenty years like the age
of twenty two, So I twenty like damn.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
You sitting there like I got twenty years.
Speaker 5 (20:31):
I ride up North was the longest ride in my life.
I'm saying it like I'm really locked up for crime
I commit. So I had a lot of hate you,
a lot of tension best sites so you know what
like something gang, I'm like, no, I want to I
want to come up north now and and and do something.
I don't care if I get caught, because now kind
of like a vindication of you know what I mean,
who I Now. I got to become that person I created,
(20:53):
and I really got to beat this gangster killer blood.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
I mean, because I said, I'm scared.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
I don't want to say, you know, you got to
become pray or you know what I mean, You're gonna
be prayed on. That's what I always thought. So I
always had to walk and stick my chest out and
be that guy, you know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
So that's what it was.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
At first, I said, I was, you know what I mean,
taking place what you know is you know what I mean,
contracts or somebody was fool you know what I mean.
For the people that don't know, like you know, dealing
with games. You might have somebody that can't be in
the same jail as you, so you gotta get rid
of them. You gotta cut them or stab them or whatever.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
You had to go right into to where everything that
was going on. So from from downstate where you ended
up at.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
I went from Downstate to five point, stayed there for
two years and up getting my ged camemember.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I got locked up.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
I had no high school diploma, no GED, no nothing.
I went to five Points, got my GED, and then
from there went to Auburn for a couple of months,
and then from there I went to green Haven. So
that's what I did most of my time, and between
green Haven and Sing Sing So so got to green
Haven like about two thousand and five, two thousand and three,
(21:58):
I'm sorry, two two thousand.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Okay, Well at least you ended up back in the jail.
That it's a little bit more calm, you know, in
regards to like to get what you want to get
the best you could get out of being in jail,
you know what I'm saying, not like going to Clinton
or Attica old come Stock and shit be more complicated
(22:22):
and more, you know what I'm saying. It's more, you know,
it's more complicated, more a lot of ship, more a
lot of ship happening in the mother of jails. Not
that shit. Don't go on where you was at. I mean,
I'm quite sure you've seen things you know that you
probably can't forget about and ship like that, but you know,
in the mother jails is like more more and more
for for the fuck ups.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
Right, So, like I said, because remember, you can't come
down unless you being good.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Remember to be close to be I think, great, it's close.
So you did your whole time there.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Green havens sings together. I did probably not half my
nineteen and a half years. I probably did more than
ten years between them two jails alone than my last
two years at Odisville.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
So how was your day to day and what was
your mindset? Well, in green Haven, I was still transition.
We want to know the transition when you decided I
got to get the fuck out of jail.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
So this was you know, I always fighting my case.
I never thought I was actually going to do nineteen
and a half years. I remember, post have been twenty.
But I got six years. Created a good time because
when I finally got to sing sing. But just go
to answer your question, I did two years in green Haven.
Then I went to sing sing, still gaining affiliated a
lot of my fellas I was with I STI always
had the same to mean. I never was like a pressure.
(23:38):
Remember when I turned blood, They was telling me the
history of it, how it was supposed to be. You know, buddy,
love overrides of pressure and destruction.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
We were supposed to protect our community. So that's was
my attraction to it at the time as well. I
knew the history and the origin of it. So and
now a lot of brothers that I was with, it's like,
why are you messing with them guys? Like what you doing? Like,
I mean this thing there, that's the people that are
I really didn't have no answer for them. So it
wasn't until so, you know what, like seven years in,
I kind of, you know what I said, stopped messing
(24:08):
with the gang, started messing with a lot of Brooklyn guys.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
And I know it's a lot of them going.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
To school and going to the school building, so that
you know, the yard is equivalent to the street up
nor if you know what I mean. Anything you can
find in the street in New York City, you can
find the yard in the penitentiary. So that's what that's
where I was comfortable at in the yard. So, like
I said, once I saw a lot of brothers that I
looked at and respect that sort, and I'm going to
the school buildings, so and I'm going to school.
Speaker 4 (24:32):
I was like, oh, it's cool to go there.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
So I ended up thanks to the Hudson Link program
Mercy College and end up going to college and obtaining
my associate's degree.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Ended up being going on the block. What I did too,
that kept me.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
You got focused.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I kept focused, and when I left it was time.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Where they the issues I know they had to bring
because it did because.
Speaker 4 (24:56):
You know, I, like I said, I was respected.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
I was.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
I was gaining for it for a while and like
a lot of them looked up to me because I
kept it reial. I could have said I knew what happened.
So I'm saying I could have told what happened, but
I wasn't there. And like, even though I knew what
happened in my mind, I couldn't put myself to put
nobody else in the position that I wasn't. I was like, yo,
I wasn't there. I had nothing to do with that.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
I'm not doing, Like, yeah, I'm not doing you have
to handle it. He was handling, you know.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
So I got a lot of respect from my peers
and officers that because I wasn't in there acting like
I killed this murder. I never promoted that maintained my innocence.
It was being you, I maintained my innocence. Since they
want I wanted.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
Just my question to you is how the transition from
you being a gang member when you decided you didn't
want a gang man? No more, like how that how
that worked out? Like how you managed to get you
know right, well will come that because you know some
sometimes that no question. You know, people get stabbed up,
you know, you get shot, you know you kind.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
Of and they when you want you, they tend to
like throw you on the dummy man. All right, you
don't want to heah, that's your next place. You got
to put this this deal and you got to put
this work in because now they don't care about you.
Somebody that they got beef with goes and you go
too if you get caught. They killed two birds in
one stone. So usually you're.
Speaker 4 (26:13):
Right that was the case.
Speaker 5 (26:14):
But like said, I was well respected and fortunately one
of my superior is one of my big homies, which
they at the spot at the time, and told him,
you know what I'm trying to do, trying to get
more focused on you know this lower library, fighting my case,
getting in the school program. And you know he gave
me that that that that that.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
That that leeway said, Yo, it's all right with me.
That's what you want to do.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
So I left out and but no harm, no foul,
you know what I mean, respected like a soldier, buried
my bone, and it was all good.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
He was able to accomplish your mission.
Speaker 5 (26:50):
You have to look over my shoulder, you know what
I mean. Still got love from the guys.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
That was cool. So it worked out for you. Usually
don't work out like that at the time, That's what
I'm saying. But those for the viewers and for the
people out there that thinks that just don't go down
like that all the time. Sometimes you gotta get your
head cracked on the mission. You know, it just don't
go well because you know, it's like you know what
I mean, Yeah, you know too much, or it's like
you know, it's just not right, it's just dangerous, you know.
(27:15):
So but I'm happy that you was able to overcome
that and was able to get focused. So you start
going to the low Library, going to.
Speaker 5 (27:22):
Lower library, fighting my case, trying to find somebody to
take interest in my case. I couldn't find nobody for
a while because my moms didn't have money. We didn't
have money to pay for lawyers and all that stuff. So,
like I said, at and B lawyer, which is a
a lawyer that's appointed to you and stuff and the
same things. But they finally stayed up enough money and
got me a pellet lawyer. She did her job. But
(27:43):
then once that guy denied, They're like, oh, I can't
do no more service for you unless you got more money.
So I started asking these people like that, how much
is my life worth? You know what I mean? Like
I'm not I'm actually innocent. I'm not looking for a loophole.
I knew guys that be trialing with home committed they crime,
saying I'm stucky up north for a crime I didn't commit,
(28:05):
you know what I mean. So that was like I said,
it was a blow.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Too bad?
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Was it making you better?
Speaker 5 (28:09):
And that's one of my models to this day. I
gotta get a shirt. I'm a better man, not a
better man, you know what I mean? Like I said,
I always accountable for my actual because at one time
it wasn't until I went to the box and I said, dag,
how did I get here? And I said, like I said,
they ain't just come give me a street my choice.
That's why I go around. I tell the kids now,
my choices, my affiliation, and my association led to my
future incarceration. The choices that I made. If I never
(28:32):
was gaining fully, if I never hung out with them deals,
if I never got locked up, and that's how they
got me because they went saw a photo ray. And
I see, that's why I tell kids too, what you
do now can affect you ten fifteen years down.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
I don't even know I'm working and doing everything. When
I got.
Speaker 5 (28:47):
Arrested early on, they had my fingerprints, so they went
and looked at a photo ray, and that's how they
was able to pick me out, even have a picture
of me to get locked up for this crout. So
but I never got locked up when I was fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
You don't never have that I got you. So now
you did yourn eighteen years. You went to a low library, yep.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
So during this time too, I was also I ended
up working with the rec Department of course special subjects.
So I was really into sports. I was also a
big basketball player. Everybody said I could have went to
the league. I played with a lot of guys that's
you know, well known in the sports.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
In basketball growing up in Brooklyn.
Speaker 5 (29:25):
I was just a little undersized, so I never knew
how nice I was until I got locked up or whatever.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
So I started was bunching niggas just say that.
Speaker 4 (29:35):
Yeah, I'm always.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
I'm argument like top five point guard in the state,
Like you know what I mean to this day. But
I started doing sports and I started being a commissioner.
I started running the sports programs for the whole jail,
eight block B block on the blogs. I started putting
together tournaments and schedules for both sides, calling me the commissioner.
(30:00):
So I said, I didn't even know the love I
had and likes to always start playing the game, show
your love, but putting the game together. I found a
love for that. So one day officer came up to me.
He was like, a rap, it's.
Speaker 4 (30:12):
A game tonight.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
I'm like, nah, nah, tom On He's like, oh man,
I'm like, why are you man? He said, nah, I
got the yard to night. And you know, usually when
there's a game outside, everybody's around the basketball court.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
He can see everybody.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
It's nothing going on because just like the street, if
it's idle time, that's when they're trying to get drugs.
They trying to do this one. But it's a basketball
game going on. It's something that Joe. They watching the game.
So I said that I like, let me get these
guys to do something more in the yard to keep
them out of trouble. Yeah, not end up being my name, bullshit, right,
(30:48):
So I said that if I can do that with
these brothers in here, let me come out here and
do that with these kids out here before they get
in there. So I said, after coming home, a lot
of my my brother I was locked up with Andre
and Patterson. We talked about coming home and starting, you know,
a nonprofit organization. So we ended up he ended up
starting at Freedom Elite Sports Academy organization where we trained
(31:14):
we mentor. We also got a mentor team that formerly
in concentrated brothers that go out to the Rykers Island.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Schools and.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
Gyms and we'll play the kids and let them know listen,
we was once inspiring athletes like you, but one poor choice,
one poor decision, our life deterred that. So y'all go
back and play with them. Yeah, we're trying. Yeah, so
we're trying to go back. We're supposed to go back
last year, but hopefully this summer, we're trying to go
to the five Building and and playing them with our organization.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Oh, that's cool. We could definitely situate something like that
because oh how you called it. Ah, I'll be going
to Ratings Island. So we could definitely get put the
put some stuff together and get the team to go
in there and play them and all that. We were
trying to get that together. So you know, this is
(32:07):
what you do, so it could probably be easier. However,
you evolved, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
That's what I said.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
That's cool.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
We got about ten guys, that's all approved and everything's
going there.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
Let us know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Okay, that's good. So we're definitely gonna do something like that.
So now you came home. What year you came home?
Speaker 5 (32:26):
So I came home, as I said, going to the
parole bo Let me talk about that real quick, going
to the parole board as because you know, when you
go to parole board, they don't know if you they
don't care if you innocent, gilt you going there as
a convicted murderer. They want to know what has changed
from the person that committed this crime to the person
that wants to be released. So now I was kind
(32:48):
of scared. I get to a medium. I was kind
of scared, said that do I go and emit to
a crime I didn't commit, just to go home? Or
do I, you know, stand on my tin tool like
I've been doing and maintaining my innocence. So it wasn't
until I got to Otisville and they said a guy
had just went to parole board mainteen is innocent and
he made it. So I dropped my stuff and I
went to the MEETIA introduced myself and told him, you
(33:09):
know I'm going to this year too, can you you know,
let me know you know what you did. So he
asked me my question. I say, yeah, but maintaining my
innocence the day one he said, which is good? And
what I've been doing, what I accomplished.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
And I went there.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
I was able to get in touch with my brother
good brothers of my prince and my brother Sean. They
was in touch with wrong Kooby. You're familiar with Ron Koby.
He's one of the big time lawyers. What he did
was wrong, wrong, full convicted cases. So he did a
lot of for me in support of my innocence and
that he'd be working with me this, that and there.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
So when I went to parole board.
Speaker 5 (33:43):
They saw that so my demeanor, saw my paperwork and
its fit as you know, an innocent man, and they
was able to grant me on parole.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
So I came that shit don't really happen like that
once again. I just.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
I was like, you threw over here, breaking this out
of me on line. You know, parole tough.
Speaker 5 (34:04):
And I said, I was scared unknown, but like I said.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
One of you to make this ship and all that,
and it's an issue because I went to jail with
something I didn't do either, but I ain't do that.
I just like, but I you know what I mean,
I ain't I went to jail son I ain't doing
and I was when I went to parole, I was like,
(34:27):
I didn't do what you did. I was like, yeah, please,
I just handled it.
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Whatever I was, I ain't gonna for going to parole
was kind of more. I was more nervous going to
parole than I was trial because I was like, okay,
I was innocent.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
You know's a chance I'm really going home?
Speaker 2 (34:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, you're not even looking at You're not
looking at so far.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
But parole, I'm like, these guys can hit me with
a year two more years.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Yeah, you hear two years. That's the that's the favorite.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
And I was also scared.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
It was this movie called Crown Heights, based on a
true story about it guy who was also wrongly convicted
and did time, but he was from the Islands or whatever,
so he didn't really know how to adjust till the
prison system. He's always in the box, always going through
stuff with officers and convicts or whatever. So they asked
(35:17):
me a parole boy. Yeah, you say you didn't commit
this crime. You was innocent, but it shows, you know,
over one hundred infractions in box time.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
He said, the disciplinary is messed up all right.
Speaker 5 (35:28):
Right, so he got hit two or three times because
he didn't want to admit to the crime he didn't commit.
You know, when I saw that movie, I was like,
oh my god, that's why I really got scared of Dan.
I really got to admit to a crime I didn't commit,
just to go home.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Yeah, yeah, it was tough. Luckily that you got God
blessed you with the other brothers that you was able
to get, you know, get in contact with him and
he would get good prepped before it.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
Right.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
So, like I said, I came home and on September third,
twenty nineteen, after the start doing nineteen and a half years,
my family was there. Was such a beautiful day, you know,
coming home. Like I said, when I left home, I
had a beat up. So I never had a cell phone,
never had a flip phone. So just having a phone
and the technology I came from like I did two decades,
(36:15):
I came onto.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
You came home to you kill your family was there
for you. Thank God, Thank God for that. You know,
a lot of brothers go to jail, they don't have nobody.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
That's another thing. I was scared of.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
My mother, my father, my siblings, everybody was still there
and intact.
Speaker 4 (36:30):
Like I said, came home.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Now, I'm an executive director of Freedom Elite Sports Academy.
We do a lot of stuff in the community. We
have tournaments every year in the Bronx. We do one
in Castle Hill for the last two years. The guys
kids come out there and they played free food, dreams, beverages, music.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
We had went up.
Speaker 5 (36:49):
North in Newburgh that we do every year, the Youth
Empowerment Basketball tournament.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
That we do up there.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
Okay, shout out to the New Bird.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
That's where I'm at right now. I'm living in Poughkeepsie.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Oh yeah, myself. One of my kids live in New Birds.
Speaker 4 (37:01):
Yeah, so that's right there, New Bird, Poughkeepsie, Kingston.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
It's like our five borough or something. They're all half
an hour away from each other in the Middletown. So
I'm doing that. I'm also I'm working out a rehabilitation
facility a house manager there, so I'm doing that right now. So,
like I said, one thing they ever asked me, what
what you want to do? You know, you get that
question what you gona do? I said, I just want
to be accounted for. I wanted to pay taxes. I
(37:24):
want to get a job.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
I just want to be you want you want, you want,
you want anything account man, You want to do things
that you double thought you could do right right, And
it's a blessing. You know, you got kids.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Yes, I came home and I was blessed to have
I got a four.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
Year old junior, blessed, blessed this year. So you know
it's like you know, my married engaged.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Okay, congratulations, so you focused, man, this is what we want.
This is what this is. This is a great see.
This is the interviews that I well that you could
could you could you could actually break the whole story down,
and brothers and brothers, young brothers and sisters out they
could see. You know what I'm saying that you never
you never lost faith in yourself. You know what I'm saying.
(38:09):
You kept and you you you stood up for yourself.
You know what I'm saying, even at the toughest moments.
Because things could have went bad for you in jail too,
you know what I'm saying, because you was involved with
gangs and stuff like that. You know, so a lot
of shit happens, you know when you in jail, particularly,
you know what I'm saying, jail it could be like
you could be lovely, huggy and all that one one moment,
(38:31):
the next thing, you be the one. You be the
you be fool, You be the guy that be looking
for the guy that be. So you know you've been
home six years and a half and half going on six.
It's a blessing. Man, Well, I can say, man, you know,
is a honor avenue. You know what I'm saying. Definitely
would like to definitely stay in contact with you so
(38:53):
we could situate something for to right as Islands, so
we could bring the team up and there and play
the brothers and all that and and keep doing your thing, man.
And it's what is about. The platform is here for you.
Just know that dog in the yard is is this
is This is your platform. This is for those brothers
that never had a voice like you. You ain't had
(39:14):
no voice for nineteen years. Now you're out here. You
out here, you was able to share your story, you
know me for the brothers and sisters out there. You
know what I'm saying. They can see that. You know
it's real. It could happen. You know what I'm saying.
You could be out there one day and all of
a sudden you could get snatched up and you didn't
know nothing about it and you get caught up. And
lack of education and you're not and you running the
(39:36):
streets and thinking you know everything, and you get caught
up and you wanted to lose in your life for
a long time.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
That's that's why I go around.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
I tell kids, Now, how do you feel about prison reform?
Speaker 5 (39:46):
Definitely? Definitely for it, know what I mean, It's about time.
You know, it's a well overdue you know what I mean.
It's still a long way going, but it's something that's
you know, finally being looked at, because the prison system.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Is finally being looked at. Right, you can believe that ship, right,
it's finally being looked at. I feel the same way too,
especially after the last event where they kill uh yeah,
Robert Brooks, it's right, you know what I'm saying now
that but that's been going on for a long time.
If you say years, imagine me that I did seventeen
(40:21):
years before you did nineteen. So that ship been like history.
People out there, you know, getting beat up and all
that bout the correctional officers and all that.
Speaker 4 (40:31):
Yeah, I mean that.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
So you know, I'm happy that, you know, it's we started,
you know, look at they started to look at it.
You know what I'm saying things that we always kept
as a secret because you know how many ass whoopen's
and the guy that never told my mom's double share
that my story.
Speaker 4 (40:48):
Never the And then they said they beat you up,
and then you get a new charge.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
All the time, all in the three years in the box.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
You heard you heard they knuckles, they knuckles just messed
up for being on you. You assaulted them with your head.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Yeah, what's one of the worst things you've seen in prison.
Speaker 5 (41:04):
Somebody get airlifted out, you know, once you get stabbed
and they don't have the proper time, my chances to
get CHOPO gotta come in and get you as you
laying there face down on the floor seeing the guy
that you know or heard of, you know what I mean,
getting airlifted out, or as you standing on the floor
until the yard is clear.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (41:24):
So I was always a scary thing, like you said,
going out every day your life is on the line.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Any last words you want to tell any brothers out there,
young brothers and sisters out there.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
I said, I just want to tell yourbody just to
make better choices, better decisions. Like I said, I know,
as a kid or girl out there or just like me,
a good kid, but just mess with the wrong people
and be at the wrong places at the wrong time.
And like I said, you think because I'm not committing
a crime. If you association yourself with people that are
you are Like I said, the rico lord now is
(41:55):
for the minority. Now, It's not just for you know,
corrupted officials and old mob gangs.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
They're using it for us. So just keep that in mind.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Mm hmmm. And with that being says your boy pristal
P dog in the y'all, what what are you? What
they knows? Your boy pristol P Walking back to the
dog in the yard. First and foremost, I want to
thank Dnell for coming through. Appreciate having you, my brother,
keep doing your thing today. Danelle is doing greatness out there,
making a change. He's a motivational speaker for the youth,
(42:31):
for those brothers out there that was that was that
was involving gangs or are involved gangs, and he's creating
a change. And that's what it's about. With that being said, Yo,
what they knows your boy pristal P dog in the yard.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Sea, I was flying.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
We'd alive the South Shine, We'd alive the South Shie
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