Prosecutor opposes parole for man who participated in 1992 Warren killing

Staff report

WARREN

The Trumbull County prosecutor is opposing parole for Roosevelt D. Gray, 40, who is scheduled for a parole hearing in September.

Gray, originally from Youngstown, was 17 when he participated in an armed robbery of a young couple outside of Sir Bentley’s lounge, 775 Mahoning Ave. NW, Dec. 28, 1992, that resulted in the death of Joseph Muscardelli, 21.

Gray has served 22 years of a sentence of 18 to 85 years in prison on convictions of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of receiving stolen property.

Dennis Watkins, Trumbull County prosecutor, wrote to the Ohio Parole Board, saying Gray “was clearly actively involved with Ibn Shakoor, then 23, in the aggravated murder and aggravated robbery of Joseph Muscardelli and the aggravated robbery of Muscardelli’s pregnant girlfriend, Beverly Schofield.

The couple was getting out of their car to eat when Gray approached the car from the passenger side, and Shakoor approached the driver, Muscardelli, Watkins said.

Shakoor killed Muscar- delli with three gunshots during the robbery. Shakoor was sentenced to 30 years to life for aggravated murder and aggravated robbery and is eligible for his first parole hearing in November 2025.

Watkins notes that Gray could have gotten a lighter sentence, but he “did not fully cooperate with authorities and was not completely truthful about what happened.”