ST. LOUIS– Two men have admitted to their involvement in a three-person marijuana conspiracy that led to a fatal shooting in University City in 2022. Nathaniel Brown-Shatto, 21, pleaded guilty to knowingly discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime resulting in death. Carlos Albert Castellanos Jr., 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The incident occurred after they believed the victim used counterfeit money to buy marijuana. On February 19, 2022, all three suspects, armed, drove to the victim’s home, where Brown-Shatto shot the victim, and a third man began shooting with an AK-style rifle. Investigators found 22 spent casings and later stopped Brown-Shatto and Castellanos in a matching vehicle, finding them armed and in possession of marijuana.
The third man, Emanuel Benito Vasquez, 21, is facing multiple charges but has not yet been arrested. Brown-Shatto and Castellanos are scheduled for sentencing in November and December, respectively.
