PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Attorney General Peter Neronha said today that two males from Providence were given double life terms in Providence County Superior Court for the 2019 murder of Berta Pereira-Roldan, a 19-year-old from Revere.
For the murder of Pereira-Roldan, Johnny Veng, 35, and Marklyn Brown, 31, were given double life sentences plus a total of 80 years in prison, 40 of which are non-parolable, by Superior Court Justice Robert Krause on Monday. Veng is currently serving a nine-year term for a different firearms crime, and his sentence will run consecutively to that. A jury found both men guilty of first-degree murder and other crimes before Justice Krause on March 21, 2025.
Veng was convicted of two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, first-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm causing injury, conspiracy to commit murder, and possessing a firearm following a conviction for a violent crime.
Brown was found guilty on the same charges: two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, possession of a firearm following a violent crime conviction, assault with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, discharging a firearm causing injury, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, and discharging a firearm resulting in death.
Tragedies like these destroy our community when people who are eager to use guns do so, said Attorney General Neronha. In a senseless act, Berta, a harmless bystander celebrating her nineteenth birthday, was snatched from her family. I hope these double life sentences provide closure to her family, but they cannot bring her back. I express my gratitude to the Providence Police and the lawyers in my office for their hard work on this intricate matter.
The State established that on September 29, 2019, Veng and Brown shot and killed Pereira-Roldan and wounded Crystal Peloquin outside a nightclub in Providence. When Providence Police arrived on Detroit Avenue following reports of gunfire, they discovered Peloquin gravely wounded and Pereira-Roldan dead from numerous gunshot wounds. The victims had just left a local nightclub and were strangers to one another. Pereira-Roldan and her friends were celebrating her birthday.
The defendants circled the area in a car at least three times before to the shooting and then fled, according to surveillance and witness accounts. At the location, police found sixteen shot casings. Two weapons were discovered in the backyard of a house on Mitchell Street on October 17, 2019. The crime was connected to security film that showed a Dodge Durango, which was seen in the Detroit Avenue camera, arriving at the scene just minutes after the shooting. Two people were observed abandoning the weapons in the yard.
After tracking down the Durango’s license plate, investigators seized the car and discovered Veng’s fingerprint and DNA within. Veng was present at the murder scene according to cellular evidence. Analysis by the State Crime Lab verified that the Mitchell Street guns matched the round casings, and the Glock handgun and magazine bore Brown’s DNA.
“Gun violence has no place in our community,” stated Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. of the Providence Police. To uphold safety and bring about justice, our police put in endless effort. Their efforts and our collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office are greatly appreciated.
A prior fundraiser characterized Berta Maria Pereira Roldan as a bright, aspirational, and lively young lady. A sister, a devoted daughter, and everyone’s dearest friend. As a high school graduate, she excelled and was admired by many.
Special Assistant Attorneys General Edward G. Mullaney and L. Gregory Abilheira, along with Detective Kevin Costa, Sergeant Timothy McGann, and former Providence Police Detective Theodore Michael, spearheaded the investigation and prosecution.
Leave a Reply