HARTFORD, Conn — A Manchester woman has been sentenced for her role in the investigation into the death of a Chicopee, Massachusetts man who was killed and his body left in his torched car in Hartford in December 2020.
Shamari Smith, also known as “Dakota,” 34, of Manchester, was sentenced Friday to 25 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for failing to report to law enforcement information she knew about the murder of a Massachusetts man, Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, in December 2020.
Prosecutors said that on Dec. 24, 2020, Brandon Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Roman at gunpoint from his residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. The pair forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and drove Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut.
Authorities said in court that Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was on its way to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and set it on fire.
Batiste and Roberson then drove another car to an apartment that Roberson shared with Smith in Waterbury, and took most of the property stolen during the robbery, including a Gucci hat, earrings, a necklace with an “F” pendant, and a PlayStation 5, into the apartment. On Dec. 26, 2020, Smith wore the hat, earrings, and necklace in a video on Snapchat. The following day, Smith received information that Roman’s family members had seen the Snapchat video and that the items she wore belonged to Roman, who had been murdered. Instead of notifying law enforcement, Smith disposed of the items by selling them. In an interview with the FBI on Feb. 11, 2021, Smith lied about what she knew about Roberson’s actions and her role in the disposal of the stolen property.
On June 5, Smith pleaded guilty to misprision of felony. Smith, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Dec. 13.
Batiste and Roberson have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. They are detained while awaiting sentencing.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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