A Connecticut man has been convicted on federal charges related to a 2012 drug-related murder in Hartford.
A federal jury in New Haven Wednesday found Melkuan Scott, also known as “Mel,” “Young God,” “Young,” and “YG,” 34, guilty in connection with the death of Serafin Velez, 27, in Hartford on Feb. 16, 2012, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Scott, formerly of Hartford, was convicted of kidnapping resulting in Velez’s death and with causing the death of Velez through the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Court records show that the homicide was reportedly in retaliation for a failed marijuana transaction that cost Scott and others tens of thousands of dollars. According to officials, Velez and an associate brokered the marijuana deal with individuals in New York. After receiving the cash, the New York individuals gave Scott and his associates fake marijuana.
After discovering the fake marijuana, Scott reportedly forced Velez into a vehicle and drove him to Waverly Street in Hartford, where he and an associate shot and killed him, court records show.
Scott faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison at his sentencing hearing, which has not been scheduled. He has been detained in federal custody since April 2014 and recently completed a 13-year federal sentence for another offense.
