Man Enters Guilty Plea In 2017 Shooting Of Jersey City Man

Man Enters Guilty Plea In 2017 Shooting Of Jersey City Man


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Raymond Worrall

PHONE:  (201) 795-6400 Ext. 6737

EMAIL:  rworrall@hcpo.org

DATE: Thursday, August 1, 2019

MAN ENTERS GUILTY PLEA IN 2017 SHOOTING OF JERSEY CITY MAN

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has released the following information:

On August 1, 2019, Keshawn Sparkman, age 22, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree Aggravated Manslaughter related to the shooting death of Rasasim Foster that occurred on July 3, 2017, in Jersey City. Sparkman admitted to shooting Foster with a shotgun on Clinton Avenue on that date.

On July 3, 2017, at approximately 10:50 p.m., Jersey City Police Officers were dispatched to the area of 262 Clinton Avenue in Jersey City on a report of possible gunshots. Upon arrival, officers found Foster, age 28, of Jersey City, on the ground at that location. He was unresponsive with apparent multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead a short time later.

The state is recommending a sentence of 18 years in a New Jersey state prison subject to the No Early Release Act and the Graves Act. NERA would require Sparkman to serve 85 percent of the recommended 18 year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Sentencing in this case has been scheduled for October 25, 2019 before the Honorable Patrick Arre, J.S.C., who accepted the guilty plea.

The State is represented in this case by Assistant Prosecutor David Feldman.