Queens, New York — A Queens man was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday for fatally shooting his friend after a dispute over an unpaid debt in December 2021, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Hassan Dees, 35, of Queens Village, pled guilty last month to first-degree manslaughter in the killing of Peter Johnson, 31, who was shot twice outside Dees’ home on December 26, 2021. The punishment includes five years of post-release monitoring.
Prosecutors say Johnson went to the deli where Dees worked to question him about the debt. Following a brief argument, Johnson stated that he would continue the conversation at Dees’ home after his shift. Shortly after Johnson left, Dees took a bag from the rear of the deli, left work, and followed Johnson to his home on 212th Street.
Dees shot Johnson twice, in the head and arm, when he approached Dees’ home at 10:45 p.m. Johnson’s body was discovered lifeless in Dees’ driveway almost two hours later. He was pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital.
“This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the devastation caused by illegal guns,” District Attorney Katz said in a statement.