20 years after murder at Park Hill Apartments, 3 brothers face federal trial

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two decades ago, Michael Dawson, a 23-year-old drug dealer, was gunned down outside the Park Hill Apartments in Clifton.

Now, three brothers from Staten Island are facing trial for the killing, accused of murdering Dawson as part of a crack cocaine operation.

Brian (Brawl) Gill, 46, David (Plot) Gill, 43, and Samuel (Waco) McIntosh, 40, are accused of shooting Dawson to death in broad daylight on June 22, 1994, in front of 160 Park Hill Ave.

Testimony began last week, in the same Brooklyn federal court building where brothers Anthony and Harvey Christian are currently standing trial, accused of running a 20-year drug dynasty in the Park Hill Apartments.

The cases overlap to some degree.

McIntosh has been referenced in the Christian brothers case, and at least two witnesses in that case -- Paul (Uncles) Ford, a drug supplier and admitted murderer who testified that he gave the Christians permission to have their hit man rub out a rival dealer in 1999; and James Bestman, another drug supplier and admitted killer who was once featured on a reality show, "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" -- are part of the government's case against the Gill brothers.

Ford testified on Tuesday that he was watching from a taxi and saw all three brothers shoot and kill Dawson. Brian Gill used a machine gun, David Gill used a 9mm handgun, and McIntosh used a .38-caliber revolver, according to federal prosecutors.

"They gunned down and killed a man on a street called Park Hill Avenue over drugs," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Shihata in her opening statement to jurors. "They didn't worry about people seeing them do it or turning them in, and they got away with murder for over 20 years."

Dawson, who went by the nickname "Nim," had an arrest record dating back to age 17, and had done state prison time for gun possession, but his parents said back in 1994 that he was striving to better himself. He was a Concord High School graduate and was studying sociology at the College of Staten Island.

As the prosecution tells it, Dawson had been dealing drugs at 141 Park Hill Ave., but moved on to 160 Park Hill Ave. and pooled his money with one of Brian Gill's friends, Donald (Don Don) Lewis, to get their supply of crack.

Brian Gill "wasn't happy with that arrangement," Ms. Shihata said, telling Lewis that they "couldn't count on Dawson to protect the building with violence."

On the day of the murder, Brian Gill picked a fight with someone close to Lewis and Dawson and lost, so he called his brothers for help, Ms. Shihata said.

At about 4 p.m., Dawson and McIntosh approached a drug customer's car, competing with each other to sell crack, Ms. Shihata said. McIntosh pulled out his gun and shot Dawson, and Brian and David Gill joined in and opened fire, she alleged.

Dawson tried to flee, but fell to the ground, fatally wounded, as a crowd gathered around him, she said.

Brian Gill left Park Hill, but returned in 2011, and he and David Gill went back to selling crack together, ultimately becoming the target of a federal wiretap investigation in 2013, Ms. Shihata said.

The brothers' defense attorneys have challenged the government's witnesses, including Lewis and Ford, contending they're lying so they can secure "5K1 letters" -- letters from federal prosecutors to judges that can potentially shave years off a convicted criminal's sentence.

It's an argument similar to the ones used by the defense attorneys in the Christian brothers case.

"I would argue that these cooperating criminals are not worthy of belief, don't know what it means to tell the truth, and their criminal history speaks for itself," said Kenneth Paul, who represents Brian Gill.

Kelley Sharkey, who represents David Gill, characterized Lewis as someone so low that he lied to Dawson in his dying moments, telling him "I'm here for you," right before he took Dawson's gun, ran away, and later sold the gun for $500.

"He looked into the eyes of a dying man. He promised to be there for him, and he lied," Ms. Sharkey said.

Joyce David, who represents McIntosh, suggested to the jury that Ford "had more of a motive to kill Michael Dawson than anybody." Dawson lost Ford's money after being arrested, and Ford wasn't happy with how Dawson drove in "flashy cars, the kind of things that attract the cops," Ms. David said.

Ms. David also suggested that Lewis had a motive to kill Dawson.

The case continues Monday before U.S. District Chief Judge Carol Bagley Amon.