He is currently having trouble with his reel.
One of the founders of Bed-Stuy's Aquarium built the popular sidewalk fish pond while on bail for an attempted murder case for which he was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison.
Hajj Malik Robic, 48, begged for mercy during a hearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court and touted his ties to the community, including his role in building a makeshift aquarium on a cracked sidewalk.
“He is the founder and daily operator of the Bed-Stuy Aquarium here in Brooklyn,” attorney Robert Isdis said in asking for extenuating circumstances. “He created that particular community feature to support the community.”
Lovick was found guilty after a week-long trial in December of attempted murder, assault and gun charges for fatally shooting a 51-year-old man outside the Lovers Rock Bar in Bed-Stuy on June 15, 2023. Ta.
“I was trying to build a community. They want to sentence me to 15 years because I took drugs off the street,” he said in a rambling speech during sentencing. “Where's the trust? There's no trust.”
In addition to establishing a cherished fish hole, his lawyer tried to portray Robic as a caring father and community man. He mentioned how to hold a back-to-school backpack drive and goldfish adoption program.
But Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Alejandro Vera scoffed at the so-called aquarium's impact on the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, calling it “less than a block away” from where the shootings caught on camera took place. He pointed out that an aquarium had been built.
Prosecutors said Robic and the victim got into an argument at a bar, and after the situation calmed down, the gunman went to a nearby building and returned, firing two shots at his rival and a large crowd of onlookers. He said shots were fired.
The victim suffered a gunshot wound to his right knee. Robik fled the scene and was arrested four days later when the knife was found, prosecutors said.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Talley said she was stunned by Lovick's attempt to exaggerate the neighborhood's ties, saying she believed he “put the community itself in grave danger” by firing into the crowd. Ta.
“He made a conscious and deliberate decision to leave, go get his gun and come back… [and[ fire two shots,” the judge said. “He could have killed [the victim]he could have killed any of the many people standing on the crowded sidewalk at the time. He put that very community in grave danger. ”
Rovic's sentencing was attended by nearly 20 supporters, including the aquarium's co-founder, Jequan Irving.
Bed-Stuy Aquarium opened in the neighborhood in August 2024, with dozens of goldfish swimming in a two-inch puddle in a cracked sidewalk beneath a fire hydrant.
Lovick told the Post at the time that she and Irving had bought the goldfish from a local pet store and were crowdfunding $5,000 through GoFundMe for plexiglass and a filtration system to protect the fish as the weather turned cold. Ta.
The neighborhood favorite, located at Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street, quickly went viral after New York City, New York, turned off a fire hydrant, authorities solidified broken sidewalks, capped a pond, and killed several fish. goldfish died.
However, organizers quickly dismantled the new and improved version of the aquarium a few days later and reinstated it in November in a tree hole next to a concreted pond. It was equipped with a solar-powered water purifier, a titled tank, and a heater. Suspicious friend.
The attraction was often criticized by animal activists and was forced to close around Christmas when frigid temperatures and snow fell in the Big Apple, but organizers insisted the fish were alive and swimming in a secret location. .
Lovic was out on bail awaiting trial when he built the so-called aquarium.
He was found guilty on December 11, 2024, of attempted second-degree murder and second-degree firearm use, and faced up to 25 years in prison on the highest charge.
“Today's sentence sends a clear message that senseless gun violence has no place in Brooklyn,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
“The defendant's decision to open fire over a petty altercation not only caused serious harm to the victim, but also endangered innocent lives in our community,” he said. “This brazen disregard for safety is unacceptable. Last year, the number of mass shootings in Brooklyn reached an all-time low, and we continue to work hard to ensure Brooklyn continues to be a safer place for everyone. We remain committed to holding those responsible for the violence accountable.”
Robic's lawyer said it was unclear what the aquarium's fate would be with its co-founder locked up.
