Gordon Samuels is a civil attorney who orchestrated the murders of two undercover police officers.
Background
Samuels earned his law degree and set up a private civil practice with James Wilson and eventually married a woman. Samuels raised a step-son with her, grew close with him, and eventually sent him off to law school in Georgia. Brian is later killed by an undercover police officer, Calvin May, for smuggling guns from Georgia to New York and selling three to May and his partner, Dexter Richmond. Samuels mourned Brian’s death and eventually convinced his partner to represent Brian’s college roommate and accomplice, Jeffrey North. North was convicted of gun smuggling and Samuels became enraged at how his step-son was killed by police officers.
Samuels eventually discovered 17 other handguns Brian bought and decided to use them to avenge Brian’s death. Samuels begins his plan by bribing a court clerk with $500 to take pictures of undercover officers, including May and Richmond at the court house and posted their names and eight others on a website warning people to stay away. He then represented a gun broker named Ramsey over a dispute with his landlord and offered him a deal. He offered to give him the 17 handguns as payment for killing May and Richmond. Samuels’ gave Ramsey six as a down payment and gave the guns to Quincy Ellis and Preston Hubbard, told them about the website and told them to kill the two officers.
Gunplay
Samuels’ plan is eventually successful after Detectives May and Richmond were killed by Ellis with Hubbard’s help. When Hubbard and Ellis are arrested for murdering Richmond and May, Hubbard cuts a deal and shows them the website. The court clerk who took the pictures gives them Samuels and he is arrested in his office for their murders. Samuels is represented by Roger Porter and during a meeting with EADA McCoy and ADA Southerlyn, Porter argues Samuels didn’t intend for anyone to be killed and files a motion to dismiss under the guise the website is a product of free speech and protected by the First Amendment and they both leave. Porter and McCoy argue before the judge and when McCoy mentions two of the officers were killed because of his website, Samuels exclaims that eight are still alive. The judge advises Samuels to let Porter talk for him and grants Porter’s motion to dismiss with the option to reopen when the DA’s office finds more evidence. McCoy does convince the judge to order the website be taken down, despite Samuels’ objections.
They eventually discover Samuels’ motive and while Samuels is in court, execute a warrant on his place and find 11 other handguns Brian bought. Samuels’ is rearrested and McCoy tries to get him to plead out after laying out all the evidence. Samuels rants in retaliation that those detectives lured him into a trap and murdered Brian. He angrily states that Brian had his whole life ahead of him, despite this lapse in judgement and those cops are to blame. Samuels then asks to be taken back to his cell and refuses to make a deal. After his connection to Ramsey is discovered and the prosecution gets Hubbard to testify against Samuels, they all meet in McCoy’s office to again discuss a plea of 40 years in prison. Porter tries to convince Samuels to take the deal they are offering, but Samuels refuses and decides to represent himself with Porter as his standby counsel.
At trial, Samuels gets Hubbard to testify that they never met and never personally gave him guns. After the people rest, Samuels calls an undercover officer that helped arrest Ellis and the judge allows him to examine her testimony, but clears the courtroom to protect her identity. On the stand, Detective Luisa Valenzuela is crucified by Samuels and goes on a rant about how she and the police are “creating criminals” by lying and breaking the law. Samuels vigorously rants about how the police are evil and they should be punished before the judge orders him to stop and sit down. Samuels is convicted of two counts of murder-for-hire and sentenced to life in prison. (L&O: "Gunplay")
Known Victims
- September 21, 2004:
- Detective Calvin May (shot once in the back of the head by Ellis on Samuels' orders)
- Detective Dexter Richmond (shot once in the head by Ellis on Samuels' orders)