Five people from Queens have been charged in connection with the murder of a Brooklyn laundromat owner, including the victim’s own cousin, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The victim, 37-year-old Money Perkins, was shot and killed inside his business, Money P. Clean, on Clarendon Road in East Flatbush on the evening of December 1, 2023. Prosecutors say the killing was the result of a planned conspiracy rather than a random act of violence.
According to the district attorney’s office, Perkins and his cousin, 46-year-old Ronnie Butler, had been in a prolonged conflict that began after Perkins opened the laundromat in 2022. In November 2023, Butler allegedly asked an acquaintance, 48-year-old Louis Mercado, for help in having Perkins killed. Mercado then recruited his teenage stepson, who in turn brought two friends — 19-year-old Shaleek Riddick and 20-year-old Diante Stinson — into the plan. A 16-year-old, Zecharyah Slay, was also charged in connection with the crime.
On the evening of the murder, just before 6 p.m., four assailants armed with handguns attacked Perkins inside his laundromat. He was killed in the assault. The five defendants were arrested the following month and face charges that include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, and related offenses.
District Attorney Gonzalez described the killing as particularly shocking because it was allegedly orchestrated by a family member. “The execution of a local businessman, friend, brother, and beloved father was truly shocking, especially considering it was reportedly orchestrated by his own cousin,” he said. Gonzalez credited cooperation between the NYPD and his office for uncovering the conspiracy behind the crime.
The case highlights how personal and business disputes can escalate into organized violence, and how the involvement of teenagers in such plots raises additional concerns. For the East Flatbush community, the murder of a local business owner inside his own store left both a personal loss and a broader sense of insecurity.
As the legal process moves forward, prosecutors say they are committed to holding all those involved accountable. The charges against Butler, Mercado, Riddick, Stinson, and the juvenile defendant mark a significant step in what investigators described as a carefully planned killing rooted in a long-running conflict.
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