A man has pleaded guilty to firing a machine gun during a daytime robbery in East Harlem that resulted in the death of a 69-year-old bystander. Faisil McCants entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff and is scheduled for sentencing on March 31, 2026.
According to federal prosecutors, on August 27, 2025, McCants and two accomplices robbed an individual near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. During the incident, McCants fired 15 rounds from a firearm equipped with a machine-gun conversion device toward the victim of the robbery. One of the bullets struck Robin Wright, who was standing nearby with her walker. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
“Faisil McCants fired 15 bullets in a matter of seconds in the middle of the day, killing a 69-year-old innocent woman who was doing nothing more than standing by her walker on an East Harlem street,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This type of senseless violence cannot and will not be tolerated. The people of this City expect and deserve to be able to walk our streets without fear. Thanks to the swift and tireless work of our partners at HSI and the NYPD, McCants will now face justice for his August 2025 crime. His plea today underscores our Office’s unwavering commitment to investigating and prosecuting those who use guns to destroy communities and lives.”
Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office, commented: “Nearly three months ago, Robin Wright’s life was cut short in what can only be described as a senseless, avoidable, and absolutely unacceptable tragedy. With today’s guilty plea, an admitted violent criminal will spend decades in prison with no choice but to relive the events—and the decisions—that landed him there, while an innocent woman’s grieving family prepares for their first holiday season without her. Protecting New Yorkers is non-negotiable, and HSI New York, alongside our law enforcement partners, will use every tool at our disposal in doing just that.”
McCants pleaded guilty to one count related to using and possessing a machine gun during a violent crime—a charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years imprisonment and could result in up to life behind bars.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations working closely with local law enforcement agencies including the New York City Police Department as well as several federal agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; state correctional authorities; parole board; Manhattan District Attorney’s Office; and special agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper are prosecuting this case within the Violent Organizations & Crime Unit.
