Opening Statements in Brooklyn ‘Sex for Drugs’ Case

Prosecutors in opening statements on Tuesday described the murder of an Idaho man as the result of a sex-for-drugs exchange gone wrong.

“Some guy wants to have sex with me, but I’m going to rob him instead,’” said prosecutor James Leeper, previewing what a key witness would testify that defendant Tyshawn Augustus told him.

Augustus, a convicted drug dealer, allegedly shot and killed Troy Young, a 29-year-old aspiring musician, in December, 2009 during a robbery in the victim’s apartment. Young was found three days later after a worried friend hadn’t heard from him and reported him missing to the 76th Precinct.

“He didn’t look like he was alive,” testified an evidently distraught Gary Gumowitz, 52, of the moment he saw his friend and drum teacher sprawled on his back when police escorted him into Young’s basement studio apartment.

When asked about the sexual orientation of his friend, Gumowitz, nike cortez the first prosecution witness, admitted that he did not know whether Young was gay or bi-sexual, but testified that Young had a girlfriend at some point.

Defense attorney for Augustus, Douglas Appel, insisted in his opening statements that his client would be found not guilty due to a faulty investigation by officials.

“The case was a comedy of errors,” said Appel referring to the murder investigation.

Appel told the court that although Gumowitz went to the 76th Precinct to report Young’s disappearance, detectives first on the scene called the death a drug overdose. In fact, it took the doctors conducting Young’s autopsy 12 hours to find the bullet wound in the victim’s back.

Augustus is charged with murder in the first degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and robbery in the first degree.
Photo of victim Troy Young