Martial H. Amilcar, also known as “Drippy,” was sentenced to 30 years in prison by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly in federal court in Brooklyn. Amilcar, a member of the Hyena Crips gang, was convicted on racketeering charges that included the murder of 15-year-old Samuel Joseph and an attempted armed robbery at a Brooklyn pharmacy.
The sentencing was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York.
“In seeking to exact retribution and promote gang violence, Amilcar ended the life of an innocent child,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “A lengthy prison sentence cannot undo the loss this family and this community has suffered but it delivers a powerful message that senseless violence carries serious consequences.”
“Martial Amilcar’s sentencing is a testament to HSI New York’s relentless commitment to protecting innocent New Yorkers from violent gangs that have brutalized our neighborhoods and exploited fraud schemes to fund their reign of terror,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Patel. “The defendant’s cold-blooded murder of 15-year-old Samuel Joseph and the violent attempted robbery that endangered families and a child highlight the deadly grip gang violence holds on our communities. Today serves as a powerful reminder that HSI New York, together with our partners, will relentlessly pursue those who devastate our neighborhoods and shatter innocent lives with their savagery.”
Nocella thanked HSI’s Violent Gang Task Force, the New York City Police Department, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General for their work on the investigation.
Court documents detail that the Hyena Crips gang operates with a structure similar to other Crips sets, generating income through fraud and robberies while maintaining their reputation through acts of violence.
According to court records, on February 22, 2019, Amilcar shot and killed Samuel Joseph in retaliation for an earlier altercation between Amilcar’s brother—also a Hyena Crips member—and Joseph’s older brother, who belonged to a rival gang. The confrontation began outside a convenience store on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn when Amilcar’s brother attacked Joseph’s brother and was stabbed during the fight.
Afterward, Amilcar changed his clothes and contacted other alleged members of his gang before driving with a co-defendant to Joseph’s apartment building. As Joseph exited via a staircase, Amilcar entered the building and shot him three times at close range. Surveillance footage captured these events.
On June 9, 2020, Amilcar participated in an attempted robbery at a pharmacy on Avenue H in Brooklyn along with two other alleged Hyena Crips members. During the incident, they ordered customers—including children—to move to the back of the store. Amilcar threatened one victim by placing his hands around her throat while displaying a firearm before fleeing without completing the robbery; surveillance video documented this event as well.
Eight defendants were charged under racketeering statutes related to their involvement with Hyena Crips. Two have pleaded guilty: Martial C. Amilcar (the defendant’s brother), who received an eight-year sentence for racketeering involving fraud against the Small Business Administration and conspiracy to commit murder against rival gang members; Matthew Harris also pleaded guilty previously.
Five remaining defendants are awaiting trial scheduled for January 26, 2026; charges include previously unsolved murders from Labor Day 2012 and September 2020.
The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Lash, Jessica Weigel, Joshua Dugan from the Organized Crime and Gangs Section.
