Michael J. Young, 42
Michael J. Young, a 42-year-old aspiring rapper who performed as Mike Dough on the local Kowboii Records label, pleaded guilty Tuesday to fatally shooting his cousin in the head three years ago, District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office announced.
Young averted a scheduled murder trial by pleading guilty to an amended charge of manslaughter in connection to the death of Greg Young, 42, on Jan. 31, 2016.
The victim was shot inside Verret’s Lounge in the 1700 block of Washington Avenue. Greg Young died in a hospital four days later.
Michael also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, aggravated assault with a firearm and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges included offenses committed the day before the killing, when the defendant threatened another man with a gun in the 500 block of Austerlitz Street around 3:25 a.m.
After hearing an impact statement from the victim’s wife, Criminal District Judge Darryl Derbigny imposed a 20-year prison term for the manslaughter, followed by a seven-year sentence for obstruction that he ordered to be served consecutively. The 10-year sentences for the other convictions will be served concurrent to the manslaughter term.
Assistant District Attorney Sarah Dawkins prosecuted the case.
