A 22-year-old man found fatally shot in New Rochelle on Monday was facing charges of scamming DoorDash drivers out of nearly $1 million.
David Smith, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., was accused of ripping off delivery workers through a sophisticated phishing scheme that allowed him to access their accounts and pilfer their earnings, according to the Stamford Advocate. The scam targeted delivery drivers across the country, and many of Smith’s alleged victims worked in California.
Smith was scheduled to appear in court in Stamford, Conn. on Wednesday, but was instead shot in the chest “multiple” times outside a housing complex shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Three men from Mount Vernon — Amiri Oneal, 21; Ali Mohammed, 21; and Anthony Webster, 20 — and another from Newark, identified as 21-year-old Marquis Williamson, were arrested in connection with Smith’s death. One of the suspects was located in the Bronx after he sought seeking medical treatment for a gunshot wound to his hand, police said.
“Preliminary information suggests that the shooter and the victim knew each other and that the incident may have stemmed from a personal dispute,” New Rochelle officials said in a statement, but did not identify which of the men was the shooter. “The nature of this dispute is unknown at this time.”
Authorities did not say if they believe Smith’s death was connected to the alleged DoorDash scam.
Investigators became aware of the scheme when responding to a Jan. 5, 2023 domestic dispute in which Smith was accused of assaulting a pregnant person and endangering a minor, according to the Stamford Advocate.
Cops reportedly discovered a gun and more than $50,000 in cash in his apartment. Smith was said to be in communication with “unknown individuals” possibly involved in financial crimes at the time.
Smith court date on Wednesday was scheduled to discuss a plea deal pertaining to charges in his DoorDash case, including first-degree larceny, third-degree identity theft and first-degree computer crimes.
The former Stamford resident previously rejected an offer that would’ve put him behind bars for five years. Smith’s attorney was reportedly “shocked” to learn of his client’s death.
