Albany teen admits to convenience store murder

An Albany teenager has admitted to killing a man at a convenience store in July.

Aalias Gilbert, 17, pleaded guilty on Thursday  in Albany County Court to second-degree murder.

Gilbert shot Naheim Burbridge with an illegal handgun on July 22 at 58 Morton Ave. Gilbert faces 20 years to life in prison when sentenced on Dec. 18 at 3 p.m.

In the release announcing the plea, Albany County District Attorney David Soares criticized the state’s Raise the Age Law, which he said has created a “farm system” for teenage criminals.

Gilbert was first arrested in May 2020 at the age of 14 on a second-degree robbery charge for allegedly beating and robbing another teen of his sneakers on South Pearl Street in Albany. The case was transferred to family court.  

Gilbert was arrested against in July 2022 on a charge of second-degree assault for allegedly attacking a CDTA bus driver. The case was also transferred to family court, but Gilbert did not appear and a bench warrant was issued.

“The New York State Legislature created and continues to foster an environment for violent crime to thrive among 16 and 17-year-olds in our state, by not only shielding them from accountability for violence, but sealing any record of their violent actions, which keeps judges in the dark when making decisions,” Soares said in a news release. “Unfortunately, this is yet another example of harm done to the Black community by legislative malpractice.”

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis, the chief of the Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit, is handling the prosecution of this case.