1800 Boys Gang Member Sentenced to 45 Years for Drug Territory Killing

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A street-level drug dealer for the 1800 Boys crime gang has been found guilty of killing Marquis Carter over a territory dispute in November 2022.

On April 29, a jury found 39-year-old Dayvonta Mackey guilty of manslaughter, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, firearm possession with a felony conviction and having a handgun on his person in connection to Carter’s death on the 1800 block of Wilkens Avenue on Nov. 3, 2022. The manslaughter charge was a lesser included offense given the defendant was initially facing murder charges among additional weapons charges.

Mackey, who was represented by defense attorneys Benjamin Charlton and Amanda Savage, was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter, a consecutive 20 years for firearm use in a felony or violent crime and a consecutive 15 years for firearm possession with a felony conviction on May 15 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy. The charge of having a handgun on his person was merged with the other counts.

As one of nine gang members to be indicted, Mackey’s trial revealed his intentions to kill Carter. Video evidence showed the defendant watching the victim, scoping out the crime scene and arranging a getaway with two other gang members before shooting Carter three times.

The prosecution argued the shooting stemmed from an argument about drug territory; however, Charlton noted Carter shot Mackey five years earlier and had threatened to “finish the job.” Defense counsel also said there was no evidence linking the defendant to the gang, despite his history of dealing drugs.