Two men sentenced to double life in prison for 2019 murder
Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that two men have been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to serve double life sentences for the murder of 19-year-old Berta Pereira-Roldan in 2019.
On June 23, 2025, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced Johnny Veng (age 35) and Marklyn Brown (age 31) to double life with a consecutive sentence of 80 years to serve, 40 of which are non-parolable. Veng’s sentence will run consecutive to the nine year sentence he is currently serving for a separate gun case. At a hearing on March 21, 2025, before Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause, a jury found both men guilty of first-degree murder and related charges.
Johnny Veng was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of first-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm resulting in death, one count of assault with dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of discharging a firearm resulting in injury, two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a violent crime.
Marklyn Brown was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of first-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm resulting in death, one count of assault with dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of discharging a firearm resulting in injury, two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a violent crime.
“When guns fall into the hands of those ready and willing to use them, tragedies like this one leave our community in pieces,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Berta was an innocent bystander who was torn from her family with this senseless act of violence. She was out with her friends to celebrate her nineteenth birthday, and she had her whole life ahead of her. While nothing can bring her back to her loved ones, I hope these double life sentences bring her family a sense of peace knowing that justice has been served. I want to thank the attorneys in my Office and the Providence Police Department for their hard work on this complex case.”
During the trial, the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant shot and killed Berta Pereira-Roldan and injured Crystal Peloquin outside a Providence nightclub.
In the early hours of September 29, 2019, Providence Police responded to Detroit Avenue in Providence following a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, police identified two shooting victims. One victim, Berta Pereira-Roldan, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene by Providence Fire. Berta had driven to Providence to celebrate her nineteenth birthday with friends. The other victim, Crystal Peloquin, also sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to Rhode Island Hospital in serious condition. The two victims did not know each other and both left a nearby nightclub just before the shooting.
According to video surveillance and witness testimony, the defendants circled the area in a vehicle at least three times in the minutes before the shooting and then sped away after the shooting. Officers and detectives canvassed the area and found 16 spent shell casings at the scene.
On October 17, 2019, Providence Police responded to a residence several blocks away from the crime scene after someone reported finding two firearms in her backyard on Mitchell Street. Video surveillance from the neighborhood on the night of the shooting showed one of the three vehicles identified in the Detroit Ave footage, a Dodge Durango, pull up to the Mitchell Street residence two minutes after the shooting took place. The video shows two people getting out of the Durango and leaving the two firearms in the yard where the tenant found them.
From the information obtained by video surveillance, investigators used the Durango’s license plate to identify and seize the vehicle. While executing a search warrant on the vehicle, investigators found DNA and a fingerprint matching Johnny Veng. Cellular data placed Veng in the area of Detroit Ave at the time of the murder.
The State Crime Lab’s analysis of the firearms found on Mitchell Street confirmed that they match the shell casings found at the murder scene. Further analysis revealed DNA matching Marklyn Brown on the Glock pistol and magazine.
“Gun violence will not be tolerated in our community,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez Jr. “The men and women of the Providence Police Department work every day to bring justice to those who commit violent crimes and keep our residents safe. I am grateful for the work of our officers and our partners at the Attorney General’s Office for their investigation and prosecution of this case.”
Special Assistant Attorneys General Edward G. Mullaney and L. Gregory Abilheira of the Attorney General’s Office and Detective Theodore Michael (ret.), Sergeant Timothy McGann (ret.), and Detective Kevin Costa (ret.) of the Providence Police Department led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
###