Jury Convicts in Drug Robbery Turned Homicide

BOSTON, Oct. 14, 2014—A Suffolk Superior Court jury today convicted the man who shot and killed 35-year-old Christopher Powell during a Chelsea drug robbery two years ago, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Jurors convicted MIGUEL FANTAUZZI (D.O.B. 7/89) of voluntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm for shooting Powell repeatedly inside a vehicle on Clark Avenue just after 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2012. Fantauzzi had been indicted for second-degree murder; jurors acquitted him of shooting at a second man, causing only a minor injury to that victim.

Assistant District Attorneys Amy Galatis and Nicole Cordeiro showed that Powell, age 35 and a resident of Dedham, and the surviving victim had set up a deal in which they were to purchase a quantity of drugs from Fantauzzi. Instead, however, they tried to rob Fantauzzi using a knife and a stun gun. Fantauzzi drew his firearm and fired multiple shots, killing Powell and injuring the second man.

Fantauzzi was identified as a suspect in the days that followed by Chelsea Police detectives and State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office. He was arrested on unrelated warrants on Dec. 6, 2012, and has been in custody since that time.

Timothy Munzert was the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Fantauzzi was represented by attorney Lefteris Travayiakis. He faces up to 20 years in state prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 29.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.