A Springfield man has been sentenced to life in state prison after pleading guilty to the 2019 murder of 28-year-old Shanike “Nikki” Roldan, the district attorney said Wednesday.
Anthony Potito, 56, was sentenced Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of Roldan, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said in a statement. He will be eligible for parole after 23 years.
Potito was also sentenced on the following counts:
- Count 2: Carrying a firearm without a license — 18 months in the House of Correction
- Counts 3 & 4: Discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling — three months in the House of Correction
- Counts 5 & 6: Possession of ammunition without a Firearms Identification Card — two years in the House of Correction
- Counts 7 & 8: Possession of a firearm without a Firearms Identification Card — one year in the House of Correction
- Counts 9 & 10: Improper storage of a firearm — one year in the House of Correction
- Count 11: Receiving stolen property over $1,200 — one year in the House of Correction
Sentences on Counts 2-11 are concurrent with the life term on Count 1 and with each other, the district attorney said.
“This case is a tragic example of how substance use can spiral into unimaginable tragedy. Shanike Roldan was a young woman whose life was taken far too soon. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones as they continue to grieve this loss,” Gulluni said.
“I’d like to thank Assistant District Attorneys Dana Parsons and Travis Lynch, and Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel, whose careful attention, compassion, and commitment to every detail were instrumental in guiding this case to resolution,” Gulluni said. “I’d also like to thank the Springfield Police Department for their thorough and dedicated investigation.”
On November 3, 2019, at approximately 1:37 a.m., Springfield Police responded to School Street for a report of an unconscious woman bleeding on the sidewalk.
When officers arrived, they found Roldan suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said. She was transported to Baystate Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators quickly identified Potito as a suspect after speaking with a witness who saw the shooting and recognized Potito as the man who fired two shots from a sedan.
Surveillance footage captured a vehicle approaching the victim as she walked along School Street, with a muzzle flash visible from the driver’s side before Roldan collapsed.
Detectives learned that Potito and Roldan had been in an on-again, off-again relationship.
In the minutes before the shooting, Potito called the victim seven times in under five minutes. After Roldan was shot, communication from Potito stopped.
Communication found on Roldan’s phone revealed an exchange in which Potito accused the victim of infidelity and prostitution.
Prosecutors said he ended the conversation by threatening, “Well how about this, I’m going to go home and get my gun and kill you right now if I see you.”
Minutes later, Roldan was shot.
Through surveillance and witness interviews, police determined Potito frequently drove his mother’s gray Toyota Avalon, which was consistent with the vehicle seen in surveillance footage.
Gunshot residue was detected inside the Avalon after it was seized by police, prosecutors said.
Potito was arrested later that day at his home. A search of the home led to the discovery of two operable firearms and ammunition. One of the recovered firearms, a revolver, contained two discharged .44 caliber cartridges.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined the case of Roldan’s death to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck and ruled the manner of death a homicide.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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