FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Shooting Death
Of Business Acquaintance During High-End Sneaker Transaction
Stole the 10 Sneakers, valued at $25,000, Torched Remains, Misled
Detectives and Victim’s Relatives as They Searched for Him
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Crown Heights man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally shooting a Georgia man who came to New York to sell the defendant high-end sneakers valued at thousands of dollars. The defendant stole the sneakers and then made elaborate efforts to cover up the crime by torching the remains and misleading investigators.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “Today’s sentence holds this defendant accountable for taking the life of Douglas Young, an innocent man who was senselessly and deliberately killed by someone he knew and trusted. The defendant then took elaborate steps to cover up his heinous crime. Young’s family, friends, and community are heartbroken by his loss, and my thoughts are with them today.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Hakeem Smith, 31, of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and third-degree arson on August 25, 2026, following a jury trial.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, on February 6, 2020, the victim, Douglas Young, flew from Georgia to New York to complete a high-end sneaker transaction with the defendant, who he knew and with whom he had done similar business in the past.
The pair were supposed to meet near the Barclays Center, but the defendant changed the meeting place to a remote location in Red Hook, in the vicinity of 621 Court Street. The victim drove his rental car to the location, met the defendant and showed him the sneakers. The defendant then shot Douglas, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, three times in the head, killing him, according to the evidence.
The defendant took the 10 pairs of sneakers that he was supposed to purchase, which had a resale value of $25,000, and left the vicinity. Among the sneakers stolen from the victim
were Nike Air Yeezy 2 Solar Red, Nike Air Force 1 Low Off-White MCA University Blue, Nike Air Force 1 Low VLONE, Nike Dunk SB Low What the Dunk, Jordan 1 Retro High Travis Scott, Jordan 1 Retro Fragment Friends, Family, Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Euro and Jordan 1 Retro High Off-White Chicago.
On February 8, 2020, the defendant returned to the scene where the deceased victim remained in the vehicle, according to the evidence, and set the car on fire.
The evidence also showed that the day after the murder, while the victim’s family was trying to locate him, the defendant offered to help them by filing a missing person report. He told Young’s relatives and detectives investigating his disappearance that they met near Barclays Center, that the transaction didn’t take place and that he watched the victim drive away to meet someone else.
The defendant was arrested on September 11, 2020, following an extensive investigation.
The District Attorney thanked KCDA Detective Investigators, the Digital Evidence Lab, and Homicide Paralegals Sarah-Jane Quashie and Angelika Rostkowska for their assistance on the case.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Steven Bravo, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Kaitlin Kinsella, of the District Attorney’s Blue Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief.
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